Finnair Traffic Performance in February 2022

Finnair Plc                Investor News              8 March 2022 at 9:00 a.m. EET

Clear improvement in passenger traffic figures year-on-year, but figures remained close to January 2022 levels due to the Omicron impact; strong cargo performance continued

In February, Finnair carried 443,000 passengers, which was 407.5% more than in February 2021. The number of passengers in February 2022 was 1.8% less than in January 2022 (month-on-month figures are not fully comparable as there were three fewer days in February).

The COVID-19 impact, including the strict travel restrictions imposed by several countries due to the Omicron variant, still affected all passenger traffic figures. It was particularly visible in the North Atlantic and Asian figures even though travel from both Finland and Sweden to the United States and e.g., Thailand opened in November, thereby increasing the number of passengers carried by Finnair. The impact of the crisis in Ukraine was not yet visible in February figures.

The overall capacity, measured in Available Seat Kilometres (ASK), increased in February by 473.4% year-on-year but decreased by 11.8% month-on-month. Finnair operated, on average, 196 daily flights (cargo-only included), which was 154.5% more than in February 2021 but 6.2% less than in January 2022. The differences between capacity figures compared to February 2021 are explained by the longer average stage length of flights operated and by the larger gauge of aircraft operated. Finnair's traffic, measured in Revenue Passenger Kilometres (RPKs), increased by 845.6% year-on-year but declined by 14.1% month-on-month. The Passenger Load Factor (PLF) increased by 17.3% points to 43.9% year-on-year but decreased by 1.2% points month-on-month.

The ASK increase in Asian traffic was 249.2% year-on-year. In European traffic, the ASKs were up by 560.8%. The ASKs in domestic traffic increased by 119.7%.

RPKs increased in Asian traffic by 951.5%, in European traffic by 955.6% and in domestic traffic by 172.7% year-on-year.

The PLF was 32.4% in Asian traffic and 25.3% in North Atlantic traffic but both were supported by the strong cargo operations. The PLF was 63.8% in European traffic and 73.6% in domestic traffic.  

Passenger numbers increased in Asian traffic by 950.7%, in European traffic by 602.1% and in domestic traffic by 167.0% year-on-year.

In North Atlantic traffic, ASK, RPK and passenger number growth rates year-on-year cannot be calculated as there were no passenger flights in February 2021.

In February, available scheduled cargo tonne kilometres increased by 423.4% year-on-year (decreased by 9.7% month-on-month) and revenue scheduled cargo tonne kilometres increased by 268.4% (decreased by 0.7% month-on-month), both due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on scheduled flights, especially in North Atlantic and Asian traffic, in February 2021. Cargo-related available tonne kilometres increased by 148.3% year-on-year (decreased by 7.6% month-on-month) and revenue tonne kilometres increased by 94.3% (increased by 0.4% month-on-month) and both include the cargo-only flights, operated mainly between Europe and Asia, as well as between Europe and North America. Cargo-only tonnes decreased by 8.9% year-on-year (increased by 3.4% month-on-month). Exceptionally strong demand for cargo capacity, however, continued in February as the total cargo tonnes increased by 102.4% year-on-year. They decreased by 0.6% month-on-month due to fewer days in February.

In February, 74.2% of all Finnair flights arrived on schedule (83.4%).

Traffic statistics for March 2022 will be published on Wednesday 6 April 2022.

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