Finnair Traffic Performance in June 2017

In June, Finnair's overall capacity measured in Available Seat Kilometres increased by 9,9 per cent year‐on‐year, and traffic measured in Revenue Passenger Kilometres grew by 13.4 per cent. The number of passengers carried during the month was 1,10 million, which is the highest number ever (1.03 million in June 2016 and 1,08 million in July 2016). The passenger load factor increased by 2.7 percentage points to stand at 86,8 per cent.

The capacity in Finnair’s largest traffic area, Asia, increased by 11.3 per cent in June and traffic grew by 17.4 per cent reflecting a higher passenger load factor. The selection of routes and frequencies was mainly unchanged year-on-year, but there were increased frequencies to Tokyo and Hong Kong in particular. Finnair is now the biggest European airline in Japan in terms of frequencies.

The capacity in North Atlantic traffic increased by 1.9 per cent year-on-year, and traffic measured in RPK increased by 4.6 per cent. The most significant year-on-year changes in the flight programme were the suspension of the Miami route for the summer and the launch of a new San Francisco route, operated three times a week from the beginning of June.

Finnair’s capacity in European traffic increased by 11.1 per cent reflecting new seasonal routes opened for the summer as well as four new A321 narrow-body aircraft, and traffic grew by 12.3 per cent year-on-year. Domestic capacity decreased by 3.4 per cent, as the Oulu airport was closed for renovation in the last week of the month. RPK decreased by 7.2 per cent year.

Available Scheduled Cargo Tonne Kilometres increased by 0.6 per cent and Revenue Scheduled Cargo Tonne Kilometres increased by 13.7 per cent.* The growth in cargo was visible almost throughout the market, but in particular the additional capacity from new frequencies to Tokyo and Hong Kong operated with A350 widebody aircraft was utilised successfully. Finnair’s total cargo capacity also included three weekly freighter flights between Helsinki and Brussels, operated by DHL.

In June, 83.5 per cent of all Finnair flights arrived on schedule (86.8).

According to preliminary data, Finnair’s unit revenue, or RASK (total Group revenue divided by ASK), increased in April–June by 4.2 per cent year-on-year and totalled 6.97 euro cents.

“Unit revenue rose in the second quarter largely on the back of a broad improvement in the passenger load factor, but yields also improved on certain routes. Performance was particularly strong compared to last year in Finnair’s core trafic between Europe and Asia. Ancillary sales and cargo also made a clearly positive contribution”, says Finnair CFO Pekka Vähähyyppä.

Traffic statistics for July 2017 will be published on Tuesday, 8 August 2017.

• Finnair has adjusted its methodology for the calculation of belly cargo capacity (available scheduled cargo tonne kilometres) from June 2017. As opposed to the previous method based on fixed allotments by aircraft type and traffic area, the new method is utilises actual cargo capacity available for sale on each flight, which also reflects the weather conditions and other payload. Quarterly comparison figures based on the new and old calculation method will be published in the half-yearly report on 20 July.