Finnair traffic performance in October 2015: +11.2%

Number of passengers grew 11.2% year-on-year

In October, Finnair’s overall capacity measured in Available Passenger Kilometres grew by 4.2 per cent and traffic measured in Revenue Passenger Kilometres grew by 6.8 per cent year-on-year. The passenger load factor increased by 1.9%-points to 81.4 per cent.

The capacity in Asian traffic decreased in October by 3.1 per cent, while traffic measured in Revenue Passenger Kilometres increased by 0.1 per cent year-on-year on the back of high passenger load factor. In particular, the capacity decrease reflects comfort-improving cabin changes made across the wide-body fleet last winter and a reduction in Hong Kong frequencies for the winter season. Meanwhile, the pronounced growth in American traffic from a low base level reflects the fact that, in contrast with last October when Finnair only flew to New York, in early October 2015 there were also flights to Chicago and Toronto, and in late October to Miami.

The capacity in European traffic grew by 4.1 per cent and traffic measured in Revenue Passenger Kilometres grew by 7.0 per cent year-on-year. The capacity growth reflects, among other things, the change of certain European charter flights into scheduled traffic and new summer season routes. Familiarisation flights on the new A350, which is larger than the regular aircraft in Finnair’s European traffic, contributed temporarily over one percentage point to both capacity and traffic growth.

At the same time, the growth in domestic traffic is mainly attributed to the transfer of the flights previously operated at Norra’s own commercial risk to Finnair’s purchased traffic. The passenger load factor in domestic traffic declined by 0.7 percentage points to 63.5 per cent.

In October, the cargo capacity in scheduled traffic measured in Available Tonne Kilometres grew by 11.0 per cent, and Revenue Tonne Kilometres increased by 3.2 per cent year-on-year. The cargo load factor in scheduled traffic was 58.3 per cent. The overall cargo figures reflect a structural change from the comparison period, as Finnair withdrew from the use of leased NGA freighter aircraft capacity in Asian traffic. In contrast with the previous months, Finnair’s capacity included shared freighter flights with IAG twice a week between Helsinki and London commencing in mid-September.

In October, 92.9 per cent of all Finnair flights arrived on schedule (92.3).

Traffic statistics for November are published on Wednesday, 9 December 2015.

Finnair Traffic Performance October 2015

* Operational calculatory capacity

** Including purchased traffic

– Change %: Change compared to the figures of the respective periods in the previous year (p = percentage points)

– Available seat kilometres, ASK: Total number of seats available, multiplied by the number of kilometres flown

– Revenue passenger kilometres, RPK: Number of revenue passengers carried, multiplied by kilometres flown

– Passenger load factor: Share of revenue passenger kilometres of available seat kilometres

– Available tonne kilometres, ATK: Number of tonnes of capacity for carriage of passengers, cargo and mail, multiplied by kilometres flown

– Revenue tonne kilometres, RTK: Total revenue load consisting of passengers, cargo and mail, multiplied by kilometres flown

– Overall load factor: Share of revenue tonne kilometres of available tonne kilometres

Finnair Plc     Stock Exchange Release       9 November 2015 at 09:00 EET