Finnair carried 960,400 passengers in May 2023, which was 23.4% more than in May 2022 and 10.6% more than in April 2023. May passenger traffic figures improved year-on-year as the COVID-19 fading impact of the pandemic and closure of Russian airspace.
The overall capacity, measured in Available Seat Kilometres (ASK), increased in May by 20.4% year-on-year and by 8.0% month-on-month. Finnair's traffic, measured in Revenue Passenger Kilometres (RPKs), increased by 44.1% year-on-year and by 7.8% month-on-month. The Passenger Load Factor (PLF) increased by 12.2% points year-on-year but decreased by 0.2% points month-on-month to 74.0%.
The ASK increase in Asian traffic was 71.8% year-on-year. The North Atlantic capacity decreased by 32.0% as the operations between Stockholm and the North American destinations were discontinued at the end of October 2022. In European traffic, the ASKs were up by 3.2%. The Middle Eastern capacity surged by 2,446.9% due to the Qatar Airways cooperation commenced in November 2022 and low traffic during the 2022 summer season. The ASKs in domestic traffic decreased by 3.2%.
RPKs increased in Asian traffic by 120.0% year-on-year but decreased in North Atlantic traffic by 7.1%. In European traffic, RPKs increased by 19.0%, in Middle Eastern traffic by 2,495.1% and in domestic traffic by 8.9%.
Passenger numbers increased in Asian traffic by 125.1% year-on-year but decreased in North Atlantic traffic by 8.6%. In European traffic, passenger numbers increased by 14.7%, in Middle Eastern traffic by 1,791.9% and in domestic traffic by 10.7%.
Many cargo figures increased year-on-year in May due to Qatar Airways cooperation and increased Asian capacity even though discontinued operations between Sweden and the US cut North Atlantic cargo capacity.
In May, 86.5% of all Finnair flights arrived on schedule (86.2%).