Finnair reports stronger demand and higher load factors in May

Finnair carried 1.09 million passengers in May, an increase of 7.4% compared with the same month last year, as demand continued to recover following capacity disruptions caused by industrial action in 2025.

Growth was strongest on Asian routes, while European traffic also posted solid gains. Domestic passenger numbers increased slightly, whereas North Atlantic traffic declined. Services to the Middle East remained suspended due to the regional security situation.

Overall capacity remained broadly unchanged year-on-year. Additional flights to new European destinations helped boost capacity in Europe, while North Atlantic capacity was reduced following frequency cuts to Seattle and Dallas. Capacity to the Middle East remained suspended.

Revenue passenger kilometres (RPK) rose 6.2%, supported by strong demand and reduced market capacity linked to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Passenger load factor improved by 5.1 percentage points to 77.6%, with gains across Asian, European and North Atlantic networks.

The airline also reported a 17.7% increase in revenue per available seat kilometre (RASK), reflecting stronger aircraft occupancy and higher yields.

Cargo performance improved, with total cargo volumes rising 4.3% and cargo traffic measured in revenue cargo tonne kilometres increasing 4.8%.

Operational performance also strengthened, with 82.8% of flights arriving on schedule, up from 80.6% a year earlier.

This version focuses on the key developments—traffic growth, improved profitability indicators, cargo performance and punctuality—while removing operational detail that is mainly of interest to investors.