Finnair traffic performance in September 2015: Number of passengers grew by 8.9 per cent year-on-year

In September, Finnair’s overall capacity measured in Available Passenger Kilometres grew by 2.5 per cent and traffic measured in Revenue Passenger Kilometres grew by 4.4 per cent year-on-year. The passenger load factor increased by 1.4%-points to 81.6 per cent.

The capacity in Asian traffic decreased in September by 5.1 per cent, while traffic measured in Revenue Passenger Kilometres decreased by 1.8 per cent year-on-year. The capacity decrease reflects comfort-improving cabin configuration changes made across the wide-body fleet last winter, and the discontinuation of the seasonal Hanoi route in June 2015, whereas it was operated until September last year. At the same time, the opening of the seasonal Chicago route in June shows as pronounced growth in American traffic.

The capacity in European traffic grew by 4.6 per cent and traffic measured in Revenue Passenger Kilometres grew by 5.4 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. At the same time, the growth in domestic traffic is attributed to the transfer of the flights previously operated at Norra’s own commercial risk to Finnair’s purchased traffic.

In July-September, the passenger unit revenue* per available seat kilometre grew by 5.8 per cent year-on-year and totalled 5.94 euro cents.

“Finnair continued its steady growth in spite of somewhat turbulent environment. The third quarter is seasonally strong for Finnair, and our passenger unit revenues and passenger load factors also improved on last year”, says Finnair CFO Pekka Vähähyyppä.

In September, the cargo capacity in scheduled traffic measured in Available Tonne Kilometres grew by 8.0 per cent, and Revenue Tonne Kilometres decreased by 5.2 per cent year-on-year. The cargo load factor in scheduled traffic was 53.8 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 September, 92.5 per cent of all Finnair flights arrived on schedule (92.7).

Traffic statistics for October are published on Monday, 7 November 2015.

* Unit revenue = Ticket revenue/ASK.

Finnair Traffic Performance September 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                   7 October 2015 at 09:00 EET