Finnair traffic decline in March by 8 per cent compared with March last year. A
weakening of demand reduced the average price per passenger kilometre by more
than 13 per cent in the first quarter of 2009. Business travel in particular has
fallen sharply.
“In these adverse economic conditions, Finnair must be ready to fight for
customers and with demand being as it is, this has to be done with price. We
have reacted to the fall in demand also by cutting capacity. This will take
place mainly by reducing flight frequencies to our present destinations,” says
Finnair's SVP Communications Christer Haglund.
This year Finnair's scheduled passenger traffic capacity is expected to be a
good six per cent less than in 2008.
Weakened demand is also evident in load factors. Finnair's load factor in all
traffic fell in March by 3.4 percentage points and in scheduled passenger
traffic by 4.8 percentage points.
Asian traffic declined in March by 15.5 per cent, due mainly to cuts in
capacity. Capacity was reduced on Asian routes by 12 per cent.
European traffic declined by 12.5 per cent and capacity was cut by 3.2 per cent.
The Europe traffic load factor fell by 6.5 percentage points compared with March
last year.
Leisure Traffic grew in March by 6.1 per cent. The load factor, however, fell by
2.2 percentage points as capacity increased by 8.7 per cent.
Of Finnair's flights, 88.0 per cent arrived on schedule, which represents an
improvement of 17.9 percentage points from last year. The scheduled passenger
traffic punctuality percentage rose from March last year by 18.0 percentage
points to 90.9 per cent.
Finnair traffic
Finnair traffic altogether decreased by 8.0%, measured in revenue passenger
kilometres. Capacity decreased by 3.7%. Passenger load factor was 3.4 percentage
points lower than year before, 72.9%. Number of passengers carried decreased by
10.2% and was 668 437.
Scheduled traffic
Scheduled traffic decreased by 14.0%, measured in revenue passenger kilometres.
Capacity decreased by 8.0%. Passenger load factor was 4.8 percentage points
lower than year before, 67.0%. Number of passengers carried decreased by 12.1%
and was 544 332.
Scheduled international traffic, decreased by 14.1%, measured in revenue
passenger kilometres. Capacity decreased by 8.0%. Passenger load factor was 4.8
percentage points lower than year before, 67.6%. Number of passengers carried
decreased by 13.7% and was 381 890.
European scheduled traffic, decreased by 12.5%, measured in revenue passenger
kilometres. Capacity decreased by 3.2%. Passenger load factor was 6.5 percentage
points lower than year before, 60.4%. Number of passengers carried decreased by
13.4% and was 280 415.
North Atlantic scheduled traffic decreased by 9.2%, measured in revenue
passenger kilometres. Capacity increased by 2.2%. Passenger load factor was 9.7
percentage points lower than year before, 77.4%. Number of passengers carried
decreased by 9.2% and was 10 034.
Asian scheduled traffic decreased by 15.5%, measured in revenue passenger
kilometres. Capacity decreased by 12.0%. Passenger load factor was 2.9
percentage points lower than year before, 71.8%. Number of passengers carried
decreased by 15.1% and was 91 441.
Domestic scheduled traffic decreased by 13.4%, measured in revenue passenger
kilometres. Capacity decreased by 7.0%. Passenger load factor was 4.5 percentage
points lower than year before, 60.6%. Number of passengers carried decreased by
8.2% and was 162 442.
Leisure traffic
Leisure traffic increased by 6.1%, measured in revenue passenger kilometres.
Capacity increased by 8.7%. Passenger load factor was 2.2 percentage points
lower than year before, 87.4%. Number of passengers carried decreased by 0.5%
and was 124 105.
Cargo
Cargo traffic decreased by 17.5% in terms of cargo tonnes carried.
Decrease in scheduled traffic was 17.2%. Cargo traffic decreased by 22.1% in
Asian traffic, decreased by 7.2% in European traffic and decreased by 19.6% in
North-Atlantic traffic.
Cargo traffic carried on chartered cargo flights decreased by 53.4%. The cargo
load factor in the Asian traffic was 66.5% and in the North Atlantic traffic
60.8%.
Full traffic performance data available at
http://www.finnairgroup.com/linked/en/sijoittajat/Monthly_traffic_data_MAR2009EN
.pdf
Finnair Plc
Communications
7.4.2009
Additional information:
Mr. Lasse Heinonen. SVP & CFO. tel. +358 9 818 4950
Mr. Christer Haglund. SVP Corporate Communications. tel. +358 9 818 4007
Mr. Petteri Kostermaa. VP Traffic Planning. tel. +358 9 818 8504
Mr. Timo Riihimäki. Vice President. Cargo. tel. +358 9 818 5487