Steady passenger growth at Finavia airports, but Finland trails behind Europe

Finavia's airports have reported a steady increase in passenger numbers for the first half of 2024, with a total of 9.4 million passengers, marking a 4.2% rise from the previous year. Despite this growth, Finland's recovery in air traffic remains sig

By: helsinkitimes.fi

Jul 17 2024
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Steady passenger growth at Fin

Finavia's airports have reported a steady increase in passenger numbers for the first half of 2024, with a total of 9.4 million passengers, marking a 4.2% rise from the previous year. Despite this growth, Finland's recovery in air traffic remains significantly behind the rest of Europe.

Helsinki Airport alone saw 7.7 million passengers, a 3.6% increase.

However, a recent Airport Council International (ACI) Europe report highlights that Finland’s air connectivity recovery is the second weakest in Europe, with a 37% decrease compared to pre-pandemic levels. In contrast, countries like Greece and Portugal have surpassed their 2019 air connectivity levels, driven largely by increased leisure travel.

“Finland is moving in the opposite direction compared to the rest of the Eurozone in terms of air traffic. The Russian airspace ban has severely impacted flights to Asia, leading to a 45% drop in passengers on Asian routes since 2019,” said Petri Vuori, Finavia’s Senior Vice President for Route Development.

Uneven Recovery and Shifting Travel Habits

The report indicates that air connectivity in Europe has recovered unevenly, with leisure travel driving growth. Helsinki Airport has seen a significant increase in flights to Mediterranean destinations, with passenger numbers to Greece, Spain, and Italy rising notably.

However, Finland’s overall passenger numbers are still only at about 70% of 2019 levels, lagging behind other Nordic countries. Stockholm’s Arlanda Airport, for example, has recovered to 87% of its 2019 passenger levels.

Growth in Lapland Amid Declining Business Travel

Regional airports in Lapland have experienced a significant boost due to record winter tourism, with nearly 900,000 passengers passing through Rovaniemi, Ivalo, Kittilä, and Kuusamo airports, a 16% increase. This contrasts with the decline in business travel, which has increasingly shifted to rail, reflecting a broader European trend towards sustainable travel.

"Business travel has decreased or shifted to rail, particularly for domestic travel in Europe. In Finland, airports traditionally serving business travelers, like Oulu, Turku, and Vaasa, have only recovered to about half of their 2019 passenger levels," Vuori explained.

Statistical Highlights

The first half of 2024 saw:

9,368,489 total passengers at Finavia airports (+4.2% from 2023)

7,736,862 passengers at Helsinki Airport (+3.6% from 2023)

975,940 transfer passengers on international flights (-0.6% from 2023)

91,944 tonnes of total freight volume at Finavia airports (+6.7%)

72,589 commercial flights at Helsinki Airport (+6.8%)

Popular Routes and Airlines

The most popular international routes from Finavia airports included destinations in Germany, Spain, Sweden, the UK, and the Netherlands. The top destinations were Stockholm, London, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, and Paris, with Bangkok, Tokyo, Seoul, Doha, and Singapore leading the long-haul routes. Finnair, Norwegian, and Ryanair saw the most significant increases in passenger volumes over the past six months.

As Finland continues to recover from the pandemic’s impact on air travel, the focus on balancing leisure and business travel will be crucial for aligning with broader European trends and ensuring sustainable growth in air connectivity.