Finnish airline Finnair carried 614,500 passengers in March, more than 600 percent more than the same month last year, according to a press release. Norwegian also significantly improved its traffic figures in March from low comparison figures.
Compared to a month earlier, passengers were Finnair 39 percent more, but the months are not completely comparable given that February only contains 28 days and March 31 days.
The Covid-19 pandemic and the strict travel restrictions imposed in several countries due to the omicron variant continue to be a factor affecting aviation. The impact was particularly evident in Asia. The war in Ukraine has been another factor this month.
”"Russian airspace has been closed since the end of February due to sanctions related to the war in Ukraine. This has resulted in routes and flights being closed to Asia in March," Finnair writes.
However, thanks to robust cargo demand, Finnair has managed to operate to most of its Asian destinations despite the longer routes, which has helped to offset the negative impact of the decline in commercial flights to Asia.
Revenue per passenger kilometer (RPK) increased by 1,085 percent compared to March last year and by 32 percent compared to February. Capacity, measured as available seat kilometers (ASK), increased by 455 percent compared to the same month last year and 10 percent compared to February.
Norwegian had 940,149 passengers in March, up from 71,399 in March last year. The cabin load factor was 80.3 percent, compared to 42.7 percent a year earlier.
Revenue per passenger kilometer (RPK) increased by 2,438 percent to 1,193 million seat kilometers compared to March 2021. Capacity, measured as available seat kilometers (ASK), increased by 1,250 percent to 1,485 million seat kilometers during the same period.
”"We are particularly pleased that the cabin factor remains above 80 percent, despite the fact that we have deployed significantly more capacity in March. The booking figures show a very good development in the recent period and we are very pleased to see that the upward trend in the market continues," says Geir Karlsen, CEO of Norwegian, in a press release.
Source: Direkt-DI news agency
