Finnair Traffic Performance in October 2023
Finnair Plc Investor News 7 November 2023 at 9:00 a.m. EET
Increase in passenger traffic numbers year-on-year with solid load factor
In October, Finnair carried 920,400 passengers, which was 6.2% more than in October 2022. This is only 0.1% less than in September 2023 due to normal seasonality. Month-on-month figures are not fully comparable as there was one day less in September.
October passenger traffic figures improved year-on-year as the COVID-19 pandemic impacts have mostly faded and as the Russian airspace was closed already during the comparison period. The negative impact of the Russian airspace closure especially on Asian passenger traffic figures was, however, still visible in October 2023 compared to the pre-pandemic figures. The distance-based reported traffic figures do not take into account longer routings caused by the airspace closure as they are based on Great-Circle distance.
The overall capacity, measured in Available Seat Kilometres (ASK), increased in October by 9.9% year-on-year and by 3.7% month-on-month. Finnair's traffic, measured in Revenue Passenger Kilometres (RPKs), increased by 17.0% year-on-year and by 2.9% month-on-month. The Passenger Load Factor (PLF) increased by 4.6% points year-on-year but declined by 0.6% points month-on-month to 77.3%.
The ASK increase in Asian traffic was 34.1% year-on-year explained e.g. by the additional capacity to Japan and South Korea. The North Atlantic capacity decreased by 42.1% as the operations between Stockholm and the North American destinations were discontinued at the end of October 2022. In European traffic, the ASKs were up by 3.6%. The Middle Eastern capacity surged by 799.0% due to the Qatar Airways cooperation commenced in November 2022. The ASKs in domestic traffic decreased by 6.4%, which was explained by the smaller gauge of aircraft operated.
RPKs increased in Asian traffic by 45.2% year-on-year but decreased in North Atlantic traffic by 25.6%. In European traffic, RPKs increased by 2.7% and in Middle Eastern traffic by 682.6% but decreased in domestic traffic by 3.4%.
In October, the PLF was 79.6% in Asian traffic, 75.2% in North Atlantic traffic, 77.3% in European traffic, 71.6% in Middle Eastern traffic and 74.1% in domestic traffic.
Passenger numbers increased in Asian traffic by 42.7% year-on-year but decreased in North Atlantic traffic by 25.7%. In European traffic, passenger numbers increased by 0.8%. In Middle Eastern traffic, the number of passengers increased by 555.6% but decreased in domestic traffic by 3.9%.
Many cargo figures increased year-on-year in October due to Qatar Airways cooperation and increased Asian capacity even though discontinued operations between Sweden and the US cut North Atlantic cargo capacity. Cargo carried on flights as a part of the cooperation with Qatar Airways, where cargo capacity is fully allocated to and sold by Qatar Airways, is reported by Finnair under Middle East cargo figures. Available cargo tonne kilometres increased by 23.2% and revenue cargo tonne kilometres increased by 21.8% year-on-year. The total cargo tonnes increased by 27.4% year-on-year and by 10.0% month-on-month.
In October, 81.3% of all Finnair flights arrived on schedule (86.9%).
Traffic statistics for November 2023 will be published on Friday 8 December 2023.
| Finnair Traffic Performance October 2023 | ||||
| Month | % Change | YTD | % Change | |
| Total traffic | ||||
| Passengers 1,000 | 920.4 | 6.2 | 9,293.2 | 23.7 |
| Available seat kilometres mill | 3,086.4 | 9.9 | 30,193.4 | 16.5 |
| Revenue passenger kilometres mill | 2,385.5 | 17.0 | 23,397.0 | 35.4 |
| Passenger load factor % | 77.3 | 4.6p | 77.5 | 10.8p |
| Cargo tonnes total | 12,550.7 | 27.4 | 110,633.2 | 8.6 |
| Available tonne kilometres mill | 456.8 | 18.4 | 4,349.3 | 14.5 |
| Revenue tonne kilometres mill | 286.2 | 18.2 | 2,755.9 | 25.1 |
| Asia | ||||
| Passengers 1,000 | 107.4 | 42.7 | 1,078.0 | 93.3 |
| Available seat kilometres mill | 1,024.6 | 34.1 | 10,417.5 | 49.5 |
| Revenue passenger kilometres mill | 815.2 | 45.2 | 8,131.6 | 94.3 |
| Passenger load factor % | 79.6 | 6.1p | 78.1 | 18.0p |
| Europe | ||||
| Passengers 1,000 | 630.5 | 0.8 | 6,104.1 | 14.8 |
| Available seat kilometres mill | 1,411.1 | 3.6 | 12,579.7 | 7.9 |
| Revenue passenger kilometres mill | 1,090.8 | 2.7 | 10,009.1 | 14.6 |
| Passenger load factor % | 77.3 | - 0.6p | 79.6 | 4.7p |
| North Atlantic | ||||
| Passengers 1,000 | 32.8 | - 25.7 | 346.3 | - 26.1 |
| Available seat kilometres mill | 328.5 | - 42.1 | 3,572.7 | - 41.5 |
| Revenue passenger kilometres mill | 246.9 | - 25.6 | 2,624.9 | - 25.2 |
| Passenger load factor % | 75.2 | 16.7p | 73.5 | 16.0p |
| Middle East | ||||
| Passengers 1,000 | 38.2 | 555.6 | 412.1 | 790.3 |
| Available seat kilometres mill | 240.9 | 799.0 | 2,527.3 | 988.0 |
| Revenue passenger kilometres mill | 172.4 | 682.6 | 1,833.5 | 940.0 |
| Passenger load factor % | 71.6 | - 10.6p | 72.5 | - 3.3p |
| Domestic | ||||
| Passengers 1,000 | 111.6 | - 3.9 | 1,352.7 | 20.6 |
| Available seat kilometres mill | 81.3 | - 6.4 | 1,096.1 | 15.2 |
| Revenue passenger kilometres mill | 60.2 | - 3.4 | 798.0 | 18.1 |
| Passenger load factor % | 74.1 | 2.3p | 72.8 | 1.8p |
| Cargo traffic | ||||
| - Europe tonnes | 2,644.7 | 14.6 | 19,553.8 | 11.4 |
| - North Atlantic tonnes | 1,116.1 | - 53.4 | 12,560.0 | - 54.9 |
| - Middle East tonnes | 2,183.2 | 2,007.0 | 18,655.4 | 1,420.7 |
| - Asia tonnes | 6,557.3 | 31.2 | 59,383.5 | 29.3 |
| - Domestic tonnes | 27.6 | - 11.2 | 287.2 | - 1.1 |
| - Cargo flights tonnes* | 21.8 | 17.4 | 193.4 | - 97.9 |
| Cargo traffic tonnes total | 12,550.7 | 27.4 | 110,633.2 | 8.6 |
| Available cargo tonne kilometres** mill | 125.8 | 23.2 | 1,188.1 | 11.2 |
| Revenue cargo tonne kilometres mill | 72.8 | 21.8 | 663.4 | 0.6 |
| Cargo load factor** % | 57.9 | - 0.6p | 55.8 | - 5.9p |
* Including purchased traffic
** Based on average operational cargo capacity
- Change %: Change compared to the figures of the respective periods 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: 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.
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