Finland's flag carrier Finnair said its passenger numbers for December were up 38.9% year-on-year.
"In December, Finnair carried 832,900 passengers, which was 38.2% more than in December 2021 and 10.9% more than in November 2022," the airline said in a January 5 statement.
The numbers would likely have been higher but for impact of the Russia-Ukraine war and the lingering effect of coronavirus-related travel restrictions in parts of Asia, Finnair said.
"The Russian airspace closed at the end of February due to the counter sanctions related to the war in Ukraine, which resulted in route and frequency cancellations in Asian traffic", the carrier said, citing "strict travel restrictions imposed by some countries" which remained, it said, "particularly visible in the Asian figures". Sustained demand for air cargo, however, meant Finnair continued operating most of its Asia-bound routes.