Finnair Traffic Performance in December 2024
Finnair Plc Investor News 8 January 2025 at 9:00 a.m. EET
The number of passengers increased despite a decline in capacity, leading to improved passenger load factor
In December, Finnair carried 927,000 passengers, which was 5.6% more than in December 2023.
Overall capacity, measured in Available Seat Kilometres (ASK), decreased in December by 2.2% year-on-year due to a pilot strike that resulted in the cancellation of approximately 300 flights. Including wet lease outs, capacity decreased by 1.7%. Finnair's traffic, measured in Revenue Passenger Kilometres (RPKs), increased by 6.7%. The Passenger Load Factor (PLF) increased by 6.5% points to 77.4%. The distance-based reported traffic figures do not take into account longer routings caused by airspace closures, as they are based on Great-Circle distance in accordance with the industry practice.
ASKs in Asian traffic were down by 9.7% year-on-year. In North Atlantic traffic, ASKs decreased by 9.9%. In European traffic, ASKs were up by 7.9%, as majority of the additional narrow-body capacity was allocated to routes in northern Europe after the wet lease outs to British Airways ended in March 2024. The Middle Eastern capacity decreased by 0.5%. ASKs in domestic traffic decreased by 1.9%.
RPKs increased by 8.1% in Asian traffic, by 10.1% in North Atlantic traffic, by 5.1% in European traffic, by 6.6% in Middle Eastern traffic and by 2.6% in domestic traffic.
In December, the PLF was 81.5% in Asian traffic, 85.0% in North Atlantic traffic, 72.0% in European traffic, 80.1% in Middle Eastern traffic and 71.8% in domestic traffic.
Passenger numbers increased by 6.5% in Asian traffic, by 9.3% in North Atlantic traffic, by 6.5% in European traffic, by 6.6% in Middle Eastern traffic and by 2.0% in domestic traffic.
Total cargo tonnes declined by 11.8% year-on-year. Revenue cargo tonne kilometres declined by 13.5%.
In December, 62.8% of all Finnair flights arrived on schedule (64.7%). On-time performance was negatively affected by difficult weather conditions and strikes.
Traffic statistics for January 2025 will be published on Thursday 6 February 2025.
| Finnair Traffic Performance December 2024 | ||||
| Month | % Change | YTD* | % Change | |
| Total traffic | ||||
| Passengers 1,000 | 927.0 | 5.6 | 11,654.5 | 6.1 |
| Available seat kilometres mill | 3,033.4 | - 2.2 | 38,259.3 | 5.8 |
| Revenue passenger kilometres mill | 2,348.4 | 6.7 | 29,000.2 | 5.0 |
| Passenger load factor % | 77.4 | 6.5p | 75.8 | - 0.6p |
| Cargo tonnes total | 11,096.6 | - 11.8 | 146,956.7 | 8.6 |
| Available tonne kilometres mill | 446.3 | - 2.4 | 5,563.7 | 6.4 |
| Revenue tonne kilometres mill | 276.8 | 1.0 | 3,463.1 | 5.4 |
| Available seat kilometres incl. wet lease out mill | 3,257.9 | -1.7 | 40,830.4 | 6.8 |
| Asia | ||||
| Passengers 1,000 | 116.4 | 6.5 | 1,368.7 | 6.0 |
| Available seat kilometres mill | 1,107.9 | - 9.7 | 13,506.9 | 5.9 |
| Revenue passenger kilometres mill | 903.2 | 8.1 | 10,450.5 | 7.1 |
| Passenger load factor % | 81.5 | 13.4p | 77.4 | 0.9p |
| Europe | ||||
| Passengers 1,000 | 528.8 | 6.5 | 7,646.2 | 7.8 |
| Available seat kilometres mill | 1,181.9 | 7.9 | 16,268.7 | 10.2 |
| Revenue passenger kilometres mill | 851.0 | 5.1 | 12,234.8 | 5.3 |
| Passenger load factor % | 72.0 | - 1.9p | 75.2 | - 3.5p |
| North Atlantic | ||||
| Passengers 1,000 | 31.5 | 9.3 | 405.7 | 2.1 |
| Available seat kilometres mill | 288.7 | - 9.9 | 3,958.1 | - 4.9 |
| Revenue passenger kilometres mill | 245.5 | 10.1 | 3,107.4 | 2.9 |
| Passenger load factor % | 85.0 | 15.5p | 78.5 | 6.0p |
| Middle East | ||||
| Passengers 1,000 | 47.1 | 6.6 | 470.7 | - 5.0 |
| Available seat kilometres mill | 266.1 | - 0.5 | 2,944.7 | - 3.6 |
| Revenue passenger kilometres mill | 213.2 | 6.6 | 2,134.5 | - 3.5 |
| Passenger load factor % | 80.1 | 5.3p | 72.5 | 0.1p |
| Domestic | ||||
| Passengers 1,000 | 203.3 | 2.0 | 1,763.1 | 3.5 |
| Available seat kilometres mill | 188.8 | - 1.9 | 1,580.9 | 10.9 |
| Revenue passenger kilometres mill | 135.5 | 2.6 | 1,073.0 | 5.2 |
| Passenger load factor % | 71.8 | 3.1p | 67.9 | - 3.7p |
| Cargo traffic | ||||
| - Europe tonnes | 2,102.3 | - 2.5 | 29,091.7 | 22.8 |
| - North Atlantic tonnes | 1,293.1 | - 2.6 | 15,516.4 | 2.9 |
| - Middle East tonnes | 2,110.3 | 7.7 | 23,904.8 | 5.6 |
| - Asia tonnes | 5,570.9 | - 21.8 | 77,956.7 | 6.2 |
| - Domestic tonnes | 20.0 | - 10.9 | 258.8 | - 23.0 |
| - Cargo flights tonnes** | 0 | 0 | 228.3 | - 3.2 |
| Cargo traffic tonnes total | 11,096.6 | - 11.8 | 146,956.7 | 8.6 |
| Revenue cargo tonne kilometres mill | 66.8 | - 13.5 | 869.6 | 6.6 |
* The number of passengers and cargo tonnes for January-November 2024 were corrected in December, with a total impact of 59,100 additional passengers and 828.7 additional cargo tonnes for the period.
** Including purchased traffic
- Change %: Change compared to the figures of the respective period in the previous year (p = points, N/A = not available)
- Available seat kilometres (ASK): Total number of seats available multiplied by kilometres flown
- Revenue passenger kilometres (RPK): Number of revenue passengers carried multiplied by kilometres flown
- Passenger load factor (PLF): 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
Further information:
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