Finnair carried 602,700 passengers in December 2021, which was 551.4% more than in December 2020. The number of passengers in December 2021 was 23.8% more than in November 2021. The COVID-19 impact, including the strict travel restrictions imposed by several countries due to the Omicron variant, still affected all passenger traffic figures. It was particularly visible in the North Atlantic and Asian figures even though travel from both Finland and Sweden to the United States and e.g., Thailand opened in November, thereby increasing the number of passengers carried by Finnair.
The overall capacity (ASK), increased in December by 554.4% year on year and by 26.8% month on month. Finnair operated, on average, 230 daily flights (cargo-only included), which was 206.7% more than in December 2020 and 15.6% more than in November 2021. The differences between capacity figures compared to December 2020 are explained by the longer average stage length of flights operated and by the larger gauge of aircraft operated. Finnair’s traffic (RPKs), increased by 1,081.5% year on year and by 49.8% month on month. The Passenger Load Factor (PLF) increased by 24.3% points to 54.4% year on year and by 8.4% points month on month.
The ASK increase in Asian traffic was 334.6% year on year. In European traffic, the ASKs were up by 660.9%. The ASKs in domestic traffic increased by 181.1%.
RPKs increased in Asian traffic by 1,261.0%, in European traffic by 919.1% and in domestic traffic by 247.2% year on year. The PLF was 38.9% in Asian traffic and 55.9% in North Atlantic traffic, but both were supported by very strong cargo operations.
The PLF was 66.9% in European traffic and 64.5% in domestic traffic. Passenger numbers increased in Asian traffic by 1,208.3%, in European traffic by 705.2% and in domestic traffic by 248.9% year on year.
In North Atlantic traffic, ASK, RPK and passenger number growth rates year on year cannot be calculated as there were no passenger flights in December 2020.
