Finnair scheduled traffic increases 44.3% in June 2004

In June 2004, Finnair scheduled traffic (revenue passenger kilometers) increased by 44.3% compared to 2003. Passenger load factor was 66.6%, up 1.8 percentage points. Comparison figures from June 2003, particularly in Asian traffic, were weakened by the SARS epidemic. The growth rate in the scheduled traffic against June 2002 was 24.1%.

Finnair Group airlines transported 709,500 passengers, which is 25% more than a year ago. The total traffic (RPK's), summing up both scheduled and leisure traffic, increased by 32.4%, while the capacity (ASK = available seat kilometres) was up by 31.1%, resulting in a passenger load factor of 72.1%, 0.7 points higher than last year.

Departure punctuality of scheduled flights was 87.8% (based on a fifteen minute standard), 0.4 points lower than in June 2003. Including leisure flights departure punctuality was 86.7% (-0.6 p.p). Arrival punctuality of scheduled flights was 90.4% and that of all operations was 88.9%.

Finnair's Tallinn-based subsidiary Aero Airlines AS, carried 11,400 passengers (+26.8%) on Tallinn-Helsinki route. During June, Stockholm-based Nordic Airlink carried 43,200 passengers on its Scandinavian routes. Cargo traffic increased by 44.3% in terms of cargo tonnes carried.

Scheduled traffic

In scheduled traffic (international + domestic) revenue passenger kilometres increased by 44.3%. The change in capacity was +40.4%. Passenger load factor was 66.6%, 1.8 percentage points higher than last year.

In scheduled international traffic, the total number of passengers was up by 34.9%, partly affected by adding Nordic Airlink figures. Capacity in ASKs was +43.9%, while RPKs increased by 47.0%.

In European scheduled traffic, ASKs increased by 20.8%, and as RPKs increased by 16.1%, the passenger load factor was 62.3%, down 2.5 points from the previous year.

In North Atlantic scheduled traffic, capacity increased by 1.8%. Change in RPKs was +8.0%, and passenger load factor for June was 89.9%, 5.2 points higher than in 2003. 

In Asian scheduled traffic, capacity increase was 123.8% mainly due to adding the sixth Boeing MD-11 aircraft and increasing frequencies to Shanghai and Osaka since the beginning of June. Passenger traffic was up by 157.9%. Passenger load factor was 70.2%, 9.3 percentage points up. Compared with June 2002 the Asian traffic RPK's increased by 72.8%.

Domestic scheduled traffic increased by 20.1% on a capacity increase of 16.1%. Passenger load factor improved by 1.8 percentage points to 54.6%.

Leisure traffic

ASKs for leisure traffic increased in June by 4.5%, and RPKs increased by 8.1%, resulting in a passenger load factor of 93.3%, 3.1 points higher than last year.

Cargo

Cargo traffic increased by 44.3% in terms of cargo tonnes carried. Growth in scheduled traffic was +52.2%. Increase in Asian traffic was 120.7%. Volume in European traffic increased by 24.0%. In North-Atlantic traffic cargo volume increased by 6.8%. Cargo traffic carried on chartered cargo flights increased 8.8%. The new key ratio cargo load factor including all traffic categories was 59.4%. The cargo load factor in the Far Eastern traffic was 75.0% and in the North Atlantic traffic 64.7%.