Helsinki Airport based Finnair carried 1,295,300 passengers in May – 13 per cent more than in the corresponding period of 2018.
The overall capacity measured in available seat kilometres (ASK) increased in May by 14.3 per cent. Finnair’s traffic measured in revenue passenger kilometres (RPKs) increased by 14.7 per cent, and the passenger load factor (PLF) increased year-on-year by 0.3 per cent points to 79.8 per cent.
Finnair’s long-haul capacity increased year-on-year with three new A350 aircraft that entered the service in December 2018, in February 2019 and in April 2019. The ASK growth in Asian traffic was 13.1 per cent, mainly due to the extended frequencies to Hong Kong, Osaka, Nanjing and Tokyo.
The North American capacity increased by 36.7 per cent following the opening of the new Los Angeles route in March and extended frequencies to San Francisco compared to previous year.
Finnair reported that European traffic ASKs were up by 12.5 per cent. The growth derived from one new narrow-body aircraft year-on-year, additional seating capacity in some of the existing narrow-body aircraft and on average longer routes.
The added capacity was directed added frequencies to St Petersburg, London, Barcelona and Moscow and new destinations such as Lisbon and Hannover. Capacity in domestic traffic increased by 0.8 per cent.
RPKs increased in Asian traffic by 10.1 per cent, in North American traffic by 38.1 per cent, in European traffic by 16.4 per cent and in domestic traffic by 3.8 per cent. The PLF was 78.9 per cent in Asian traffic, 85.4 per cent in North American traffic, 80.7 per cent in European traffic and 64.8 per cent in domestic traffic.
Passenger numbers increased in Asian traffic by 9.9 per cent, in North American traffic by 30.9 per cent, in European traffic by 15.2 per cent and in domestic traffic by 3.5 per cent.
