Finnair Traffic Performance in April 2017

Finnair Plc               Investor News             9 May 2017 at 09:00 am

Number of passengers grew 13.3% and passenger load factor rose 7.8 pp year-on-year

In April, 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 21.3 per cent. The passenger load factor increased by 7.8 percentage points to stand at 82.9 per cent.

The strong growth is emphasised by the weak comparison period, when passenger demand was affected by security concerns following a terror attack in the Brussels airport. In addition, the timing of Easter in April 2017 boosted leisure travel year-on-year.

The capacity in Finnair’s largest traffic area, Asia, increased by 2.8 per cent in April and traffic grew by 19.5 per cent due to a significantly higher passenger load factor. The positive capacity growth was mainly due to the higher passenger capacity of the A350 aircraft rolled-out in Asian traffic. Capacity growth was slowed down by the suspension of Finnair flights to Chongqing between 11 January and 2 May 2017 due to A350 pilot training.

The capacity in American traffic increased by 34.6 per cent year-on-year, and traffic measured in RPK increased by 51.7 per cent. The capacity growth was due to the opening of the seasonal Chicago route already in April this year. The Miami route continued to be operated by temporarily wet-leased aircraft and crew.

Finnair’s capacity in European traffic increased by 14.7 per cent reflecting new seasonal routes opened for the summer, and traffic grew by 20.2 per cent year-on-year. Domestic capacity increased by 9.4 per cent, particularly in Northern Finland, and traffic grew by 9.3 per cent year.

Available Scheduled Cargo Tonne Kilometres were broadly unchanged year-on-year (+0.1%), but Revenue Scheduled Cargo Tonne Kilometres decreased by 3.7 per cent reflecting changes in the route mix and fleet. Finnair’s total cargo capacity also included three weekly freighter flights between Helsinki and Brussels, operated by DHL.

In April, 86.7 per cent of all Finnair flights arrived on schedule (94.3).

Traffic statistics for May 2017 will be published on Tuesday, 6 June 2017.

Finnair Traffic Performance April 2017

* 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 is a network airline specialising in passenger and cargo traffic between Asia and Europe. Helsinki’s geographical location gives Finnair a competitive advantage, since the fastest connections between many European destinations and Asian megacities fly over Finland. Finnair’s vision is to offer its passengers a unique Nordic experience, and its mission is to offer the smoothest, fastest connections in the northern hemisphere via Helsinki and the best network to the world from its home markets. Finnair is the only Nordic carrier with a 4-star Skytrax ranking and a member of the oneworld alliance. In 2016, Finnair’s revenues amounted to EUR 2,317 million and it carried almost 11 million passengers. Finnair Plc’s shares are quoted on Nasdaq Helsinki.