Number of passengers grew 2.4% year-on-year despite calendar effects
Finnair’s February traffic statistics were affected by last year’s leap day, which had a negative impact of some 3.8 per cent on capacity. As a result, Finnair’s overall capacity measured in Available Seat Kilometres (ASK) decreased in February 2017 by 2.2 per cent year?on?year, while excluding the leap day, it increased by 1.6 per cent. The number of passengers increased by 2.4 per cent to 834,000 (2016: 814,800), i.e. on average 29,800 per day (2016: 28,100). Traffic measured in Revenue Passenger Kilometres (RPK) grew by 2.5 per cent as the passenger load factor increased by 3.8 percentage points to 82.9 per cent.
The capacity in Finnair’s largest traffic area, Asia, contracted by 0.6 per cent in February (+3.2% leap day adjusted), but traffic grew by 4.8 per cent on the back of a higher passenger load factor. The decreased capacity also reflects the fact that flights to Chongqing are not operated between 11 February and 2 May 2017 due to pilots’ A350 training.
The capacity in American traffic decreased by 8.5 per cent year-on-year (-4.4% leap day adjusted), and traffic measured in RPK decreased by 8.9 per cent. The scheduled destination range was the same as in the comparison period. Part of the Atlantic traffic was operated by temporarily wet-leased aircraft and flight crew during the month.
European capacity decreased by 4.5 per cent (-0.8% leap day adjusted), but traffic grew by 1.2 per cent year-on-year. Domestic capacity increased by 7.5 per cent (+11.6% leap day adjusted), and traffic increased by 5.2 per cent year?on?year reflecting increased flying to Northern Finland.
In February, the cargo capacity in scheduled traffic measured in Available Cargo Tonne Kilometres contracted by 8.9 per cent, reflecting the leap day effect and reduced widebody traffic in Asia. Corresponding Revenue Cargo Tonne Kilometres decreased less, by 6.2 per cent year-on-year, due to a higher cargo load factor. In addition, Finnair’s total freight capacity included three weekly freighter flights between Helsinki and Brussels, operated by DHL.
In February, 83.5 per cent of all Finnair flights arrived on schedule (81.6).
Traffic statistics for March 2017 will be published on Monday, 10 April 2017.
Finnair Traffic Performance February 2017
| February 2017 | %-Change | Year-to date 2017 | %-Change | |
| Total Traffic | ||||
| Passengers 1000 | 834,4 | 2,4 | 1 669,6 | 4,7 |
| Available seat kilometres mill | 2 543,8 | -2,2 | 5 277,6 | -1,0 |
| Revenue passenger kilometres mill | 2 108,9 | 2,5 | 4 309,4 | 3,0 |
| Passenger load factor % | 82,9 | 3,8 p | 81,7 | 3,2 p |
| Cargo tonnes total | 9 736,4 | -7,7 | 19 472,5 | -8,5 |
| Available tonne kilometres mill | 380,0 | 0,0 | 788,1 | 1,0 |
| Revenue tonne-kilometres mill | 247,8 | 0,2 | 502,8 | 0,1 |
| Overall load factor % | 65,2 | 0,1 p | 63,8 | -0,6 p |
| Europe | ||||
| Passengers 1000 | 451,1 | 2,1 | 909,9 | 3,8 |
| Available seat kilometres mill | 919,6 | -4,5 | 1 925,3 | -1,2 |
| Revenue passenger kilometres mill | 708,1 | 1,2 | 1 431,0 | 2,0 |
| Passenger load factor % | 77,0 | 4,3 p | 74,3 | 2,3 p |
| North Atlantic | ||||
| Passengers 1000 | 19,2 | -9,2 | 41,5 | -5,0 |
| Available seat kilometres mill | 187,5 | -8,5 | 401,5 | -2,8 |
| Revenue passenger kilometres mill | 144,8 | -8,9 | 311,9 | -4,7 |
| Passenger load factor % | 77,3 | -0,3 p | 77,7 | -1,6 p |
| Asia | ||||
| Passengers 1000 | 149,9 | 5,0 | 309,2 | 4,3 |
| Available seat kilometres mill | 1 267,2 | -0,6 | 2 620,4 | -2,2 |
| Revenue passenger kilometres mill | 1 135,0 | 4,8 | 2 337,0 | 4,0 |
| Passenger load factor % | 89,6 | 4,6 p | 89,2 | 5,3 p |
| Domestic | ||||
| Passengers 1000 | 214,2 | 2,4 | 409,0 | 8,0 |
| Available seat kilometres mill | 169,5 | 7,4 | 330,4 | 13,7 |
| Revenue passenger kilometres mill | 121,0 | 5,2 | 229,4 | 11,2 |
| Passenger load factor % | 71,3 | -1,5 p | 69,4 | -1,6 p |
| Cargo Traffic | ||||
| Cargo scheduled traffic total tonnes | 8 391,9 | -7,1 | 16 811,5 | -8,8 |
| Europe tonnes | 1 587,5 | -10,8 | 3 299,8 | -6,9 |
| North Atlantic tonnes | 648,7 | 6,2 | 1 251,6 | -6,3 |
| Asia tonnes | 6 022,1 | -7,2 | 11 986,3 | -9,5 |
| Domestic tonnes | 133,6 | -15,7 | 273,8 | -12,0 |
| Cargo flights, tonnes** | 1 344,6 | -11,1 | 2 661,0 | -6,8 |
| Cargo tonnes total | 9 736,4 | -7,7 | 19 472,5 | -8,5 |
| Available tonne kilometres* mill | 104,1 | -8,1 | 220,3 | -5,8 |
| Revenue tonne kilometres mill | 59,1 | -6,4 | 117,3 | -8,4 |
| Available sched.cargo tonne kms*, mill. | 96,4 | -8,9 | 204,2 | -6,5 |
| Revenue sched.cargo tonne kms, mill. | 52,1 | -6,2 | 103,7 | -8,6 |
| Cargo load factor* % | 56,8 | 1,0 p | 53,3 | -1,5 p |
| – North-Atlantic cargo load factor* % | 46,3 | 5,9 p | 41,5 | 0,8 p |
| – Asia cargo load factor* % | 58,0 | 1,8 p | 54,4 | -1,1 p |
| Scheduled traffic Cargo load factor*, % | 54,1 | 1,6 p | 50,8 | -1,1 p |
* Operational calculatory capacity
** Including purchased traffic
– Change %: Change compared to the figures of the respective periods in the previous year (p = percentage points)
– Available seat kilometres, ASK: Total number of seats available, multiplied by the number of 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
– Overall load factor: Share of revenue tonne kilometres of available tonne kilometres
Finnair Plc Investor News 7 March 2017 at 09:00 am EET
