Threat of strike negatively affected Finnair's load factors in April 2005

Finnair passenger load factors in April were negatively affected by the threat of cabin crew strike. Finnair scheduled traffic, however, increased by 8.2% compared to April 2004. Passenger load factor was 64.8%, down 2.0 percentage points. Number of passengers carried was 635,100, up 4.7%.

Finnair Group traffic, measured in passenger kilometers, increased by 4.3% in April, while the capacity was up by 7.4%, resulting in a passenger load factor of 67.7%, 2.0 points lower than last year. All Finnair Group airlines altogether transported 721,100 passengers, which is 3.3% more than a year ago.

Departure punctuality of scheduled flights was 90.7% (based on a fifteen minute standard), 3.0 points lower than in April 2004. Including leisure flights departure punctuality was 89.8% (-3.2 p.p). Arrival punctuality of scheduled flights was 91.7% and that of all operations was 90.7%.

Finnair's Tallinn-based subsidiary Aero AS, carried 69,000 passengers (+472.8%) on routes between Helsinki and the Baltic capitals and within Southern Finland. During April, Stockholm-based flynordic continued to gain market share and carried 95,700 passengers (+61.8%). Aero and flynordic figures are respectively included in Finnair Group total figures.

Scheduled traffic

In scheduled traffic (international + domestic) revenue passenger kilometres increased by 8.2%. The change in capacity was +11.5%. Passenger load factor was 64.8%, 2.0 percentage points lower than last year.

In scheduled international traffic, total number of passengers was up by 12.8%. Capacity in ASKs was +14.5%, while RPKs increased by 10.9%. Passenger load factor decreased by 2.2 percentage points.

European scheduled traffic, ASKs increased by 8.2%, and as RPKs increased by 4.7%, the passenger load factor was 58.8%, down 2.0 points from the previous year.

Asian scheduled traffic, capacity increase was 19.3% mainly due to adding frequencies to Shanghai and Osaka since beginning of June. The passenger traffic was up by 18.3%. Passenger load factor was 75%, 0.6 percentage points down.

North Atlantic scheduled traffic, capacity increased by 37.5%. Change in RPKs was +11.0% and passenger load factor for April was 70.9%, 16.9 points lower than the previous year.

Domestic scheduled traffic decreased by 8.5% on a capacity decrease of 4.7%. Passenger load factor decreased by 2.4 percentage points to 56.0%.

Leisure traffic

ASKs for leisure traffic decreased in April by 5.6%, and RPKs decreased by 6.1%, resulting in a passenger load factor of 78.8%, 0.5 points lower than last year.

Cargo

Cargo traffic increased by 15.5% in terms of cargo tonnes carried. Growth in scheduled traffic was +13.0%. Increase in Asian traffic was +11.6%. Volume in European traffic increased by 8.4%. In North-Atlantic traffic cargo volume increased by 47.2%. Cargo traffic carried on chartered cargo flights increased  by 31.6%. The cargo load factor was 62.8%. The cargo load factor in the Asian traffic was 80.4% and in the North Atlantic traffic 78.8%.

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