New key figure in the traffic report – unit revenue – improved with the support of higher cabin factor
In January, Finnair carried 912,300 passengers, which was 3.8 million passengers more than in January 2025. The number of passengers increased sharply in North Atlantic traffic, significantly in Asia and Europe traffic, and somewhat also in domestic traffic. The number of passengers decreased in Middle East traffic.
Total capacity, measured in available seat kilometers (ASK), also increased by 3.8 %. During the comparison period, capacity was limited by industrial action. In January 2026, capacity increased significantly in North Atlantic traffic, notably in Asian and domestic traffic and somewhat in European traffic. In addition to the end of industrial action, the capacity increase was mainly driven by increased frequencies to Dallas, Los Angeles and Miami, Hong Kong and Seoul, and to Lapland. In Middle East traffic, ASK decreased as a result of the termination of the cooperation with Qatar Airways on flights between Stockholm, Copenhagen and Doha on 15 February 2025. Including wet lease out aircraft, total capacity increased by 3.6 %.
Finnair's traffic, measured in revenue passenger kilometers (RPK), increased by 4.6 %. RPK increased in all traffic areas except Middle East traffic.
The passenger load factor (PLF) improved by 0.6 percentage points to 74.1 %. The passenger load factor improved in European traffic but deteriorated in other traffic areas.
The traffic report will also include revenue per available seat kilometer (RASK), which increased by 0.9% in January, supported by the improved cabin factor.
Total freight volumes increased by 7.5 %. Revenue freight ton kilometers increased by 8.9 %.
In January, 63.8 % of Finnair's flights arrived on time, compared to 68.6 % in the comparison period. Punctuality was negatively affected by exceptionally severe weather conditions.
Finnair's traffic development January 2026
Total traffic
- Passengers, thousand: 912,3 (+3,8 %)
- Available seat kilometers (ASK), million: 3 264,0 (+3,8 %)
- Revenue passenger kilometers (RPK), million: 2 418,2 (+4,6 %)
- Cabin factor (PLF), %: 74.1 (+0.6 points)
- Available tonne-kilometres, million: 491,4 (+5,5 %)
- Revenue tonne kilometers, million: 282,5 (+5,6 %)
- Revenue per available seat kilometer (RASK), euro cents: 7,7 (+0,9 %)
- Available seat kilometers incl. wet lease out, million: 3 485,0 (+3,6 %)
Asia
- Passengers, thousand: 135.5 (+6.9 %)
- ASK, million: 1,284.5 (+8.0 %)
- RPK, million: 1,045.5 (+6.7 %)
- Cabin factor, %: 81.4 (−1.0 p)
Europe
- Passengers, thousand: 528.0 (+5.4 %)
- ASK, million: 1,220.3 (+1.4 %)
- RPK, million: 841.0 (+6.5 %)
- Cabin factor, %: 68.9 (+3.4 p)
North Atlantic
- Passengers, thousand: 34.9 (+14.4 %)
- ASK, million: 389.1 (+17.3 %)
- RPK, million: 277.2 (+15.8 %)
- Cabin factor, %: 71.3 (−0.9 p)
Middle East
- Passengers, thousand: 30.2 (−26.7 %)
- ASK, million: 162.0 (−27.1 %)
- RPK, million: 134.5 (−27.5 %)
- Cabin factor, %: 83.0 (−0.4 p)
Home news
- Passengers, thousand: 183.8 (+2.4 %)
- ASK, million: 208.1 (+5.1 %)
- RPK, million: 120.0 (+2.2 %)
- Cabin factor, %: 57.7 (−1.6 p)
Freight traffic
- Europe, tonnes: 2,102.4 (+6.6 %)
- North Atlantic, tonnes: 1,498.3 (+18.0 %)
- Middle East, tons: 1,366.6 (−9.5 %)
- Asia, tonnes: 5,830.3 (+10.2 %)
- Domestic, tons: 22.9 (+5.9 %)
- Cargo flights, tons*: 0
- Total freight, tons: 10 820,5 (+7,5 %)
- Revenue freight ton kilometers, million: 66,2 (+8,9 %)
* Including purchased traffic
Definitions
- Change %: Change compared to the corresponding period last year (p = percentage points)
- BOX: Total number of available seats × great circle distance in kilometers
- RPK: Number of revenue passengers × great circle distance in kilometers
- PLF: Share of revenue passenger kilometers of available seat kilometers
- Available tonne kilometers: Capacity for passengers, freight and mail × great circle distance in kilometers
- RTK: Total revenue loads (passengers, freight and mail) × great circle distance in kilometers
- BRISK: Revenue / available seat kilometers
The reported distance-based traffic data does not take into account longer flight paths due to airspace closures but is based on great circle distances in accordance with industry practice.
