Friday the 13th looms large for many superstitious people who avoid walking under ladders and toss spilled salt over their shoulder. Those same people would undoubtedly shy away from taking flight 666 to HEL on any day, but especially on Friday the 13th.
While “Hel” sounds ominous, it is actually the airport code for Helsinki, Finland, the destination of Finnair’s daily flight AY666 from Copenhagen, Denmark. Friday the 13th is considered bad luck in many countries, especially for those who saw the horror film series that bears the name, and the numbers 13 and 666 are generally avoided any day of the week by the more superstitious citizens of the world. However, Finnish and Danish passengers must not be a particularly superstitious bunch, as according to the AP, Friday’s flight was almost full.
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“It has been quite a joke among the pilots,” said pilot Juha-Pekka Keidasto, speaking to the Associated Press before take-off. “I’m not a superstitious man. It’s only a coincidence for me.”
While the day may be considered unlucky, any jittery passengers who skipped the flight based on the omen may regret their decision—the plane took off two minutes early and landed three minutes early as well. In the world of air travel, that’s just plain lucky.
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