Finnair issued this report for July 2020:

The COVID-19 pandemic impact was still clearly visible in the July traffic figures, cargo demand was fairly strong

In July, Finnair carried 145,300 passengers, which is 90.0% less than in the corresponding period of 2019 but 163.0% more than in June 2020.

The overall capacity measured in Available Seat Kilometres (ASK) decreased in July by 88.7% year-on-year. Finnair operated 93 daily flights (cargo-only included) on average which was 24.4% compared to July 2019. The differences between capacity figures are explained by the shorter operated flights on average and by smaller operated aircraft compared to July 2019. Finnair’s traffic measured in Revenue Passenger Kilometres (RPKs) decreased by 94.8%. The Passenger Load Factor (PLF) decreased by 48.2% points to 41.4%. All passenger traffic figures were still impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic related capacity reductions, which was visible especially in the North Atlantic figures as there were no related scheduled flights in July.

The ASK decline in Asian traffic was 88.6%. The North Atlantic capacity decreased by 100.0%. In European traffic, the ASKs were down by 87.0%. The ASKs in domestic traffic decreased by 73.9%.

RPKs decreased in Asian traffic by 97.6%, in North Atlantic traffic by 100.0%, in European traffic by 91.1% and in domestic traffic by 72.7%.

The PLF was 18.8% in Asian traffic but it was supported by the cargo operations and high cargo load factor. The PLF was 61.2% in European traffic and 73.0% in domestic traffic, whereas there was no PLF figure in North Atlantic traffic due to zero passenger flights in July.

Passenger numbers decreased in Asian traffic by 97.7%, in North Atlantic traffic by 100.0%, in European traffic by 89.5% and in domestic traffic by 75.4%.

Available scheduled cargo tonne kilometres decreased by 88.4% year-on-year and revenue scheduled cargo tonne kilometres decreased by 85.0%, both due to the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on scheduled flights. However, cargo related available tonne kilometres decreased by 81.5% and revenue tonne kilometres decreased by 73.0% and they included also the cargo-only flights mostly operated between Europe and Asia as well as Europe and North America. The total cargo tonnes were down by 12.8% from June 2020 as the demand was slightly weaker and as the cargo market capacity increased in July. The cargo load factor was still clearly higher than in the corresponding period of 2019.

In July, 95.9% of all Finnair flights arrived on schedule (78.4%).

Traffic statistics for August 2020 will be published on Tuesday 8 September 2020.

* Based on average operational cargo capacity

** Including purchased traffic

• Change %: Change compared to the figures of the respective periods in the previous year (p = points).
• Available seat kilometres. ASK: Total number of seats available. multiplied by the number of kilometres flown.
• Revenue passenger kilometres. RPK: Number of revenue passengers carried. multiplied by kilometres flown.
• Passenger load factor: Share of revenue passenger kilometres of available seat kilometres.
• Available tonne kilometres. ATK: Number of tonnes of capacity for carriage of passengers. cargo and mail. multiplied by kilometres flown.
• Revenue tonne kilometres. RTK: Total revenue load consisting of passengers. cargo and mail. multiplied by kilometres flown.
• Overall load factor: Share of revenue tonne kilometres of available tonne kilometres.

Finnair has received permission from Chinese authorities to begin operating one weekly flight as of July 23, 2020 between Helsinki and Shanghai with its Airbus A350 aircraft. The flight schedule will be published in all Finnair sales channels.

Finland has opened its borders for work-related travel from China but entry to Finland is still restricted for the time being pending an EU level decision on reciprocity.

Finnair currently offers smooth connections to 24 European destinations from Helsinki.

Finnair flies to over 30 destinations in July, operating altogether 80-90 flights per day, and is increasing both routes and frequencies in August and September. Finnair updates its traffic plan on a weekly basis and has the capability to add flights at a rapid pace, as travel restrictions are removed and travel demand recovers. Long-haul flights to Asia are also supported by cargo demand.

Finnair aircraft photo gallery:

Finnair aircraft slide show:

https://airlinersgallery.smugmug.com/frame/slideshow?key=zfSqcZ&speed=3&transition=fade&autoStart=1&captions=0&navigation=0&playButton=0&randomize=0&transitionSpeed=2

Finnair has made this announcement:

As of July 13, 2020, Finland will open its borders for all travel from e.g. Australia, Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Slovenia, Slovakia and Switzerland, and allows work-related travel from China, Japan and Thailand as of July 13, 2020. Travellers from these countries can thus enter Finland without quarantine requirements. Finland opened its borders already in June for travel from Denmark, Estonia, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania and Norway.

In line with opening borders, Finnair is increasing its traffic in July, flying 70-80 one-way flights a day to domestic, European and Asian destinations. In July, Finnair serves some 30 destinations in Europe, and flies to Tokyo, Seoul and Hong Kong in Asia. The number of destinations and frequencies will increase towards the autumn.

Finnair has the capability to increase flights rapidly, when travel restrictions are removed and demand recovers.

In July-August Finnair serves the following destinations:

Destinations in Finland 

• Kuopio
• Mariehamn
• Oulu
• Rovaniemi
• Turku
• Vaasa
• Ivalo (from August)
• Kittilä (from August)

Destinations in Europe 

• Amsterdam
• Berlin
• Brussels
• Budapest
• Copenhagen
• Düsseldorf
• Frankfurt
• Geneva
• Gothenburg
• Hamburg
• London
• Málaga
• Manchester
• Munich
• Oslo
• Paris
• Prague
• Riga
• Stockholm
• Tallinn
• Vienna
• Vilnius
• Zurich

In August, Finnair will open more routes to Alanya, Antalya, Bergen, Crete (Chania and Heraklion), Dublin, Dubrovnik, Edinburgh, Milan, Palma, Rhodes, Rome, Split, Saint Petersburg and Warsaw.

Destinations in Asia 

• Hong Kong
• Seoul
• Tokyo (Narita)

The Shanghai route is still subject to government approvals.

Changes in destinations are possible based on possible travel restrictions.

Finnair aircraft photo gallery:

Finnair aircraft slide show:

https://airlinersgallery.smugmug.com/frame/slideshow?key=zfSqcZ&speed=3&transition=fade&autoStart=1&captions=0&navigation=0&playButton=0&randomize=0&transitionSpeed=2

Finnair has made this announcement:

During the spring, Finnair has made numerous changes to its services at the airport to support the health of customers and employees at the airport and onboard. As air traffic gradually recovers, Finnair will increase its service by opening the Finnair Lounge in the Schengen area and expanding the in-flight catering service.

“Travelling can feel different than before, with changes in services and new types of procedures in place, such as the mandatory use of a mask on our flights. However, we are delighted to be able to bring back familiar elements of our valued customer service while still taking good care of the hygiene and safety of our customers and staff,” says Karim Al-Soufi, Vice President of Customer Experience at Finnair.

Finnair Lounge opens its doors on the Schengen area

Finnair Lounge at Helsinki Airport’s Schengen area opens to customers as of July 1, 2020. The lounge is open from 6 am until 10 am and from 2 pm until 8 pm with a limited selection of Food and Beverages. The lounge services will be operated with reduced capacity and extra cleaning to support high hygiene standards.   Also customers who are going on a non-Schengen flight and are eligible for lounge access may use the lounge in the Schengen area. Finnair’s lounges on the airport’s non-Schengen area will remain closed.

In-flight service will expand in July-August

In July-August, in Finland and on the shortest routes in Europe, such as Stockholm’s Arlanda, we serve coffee and tea, juice and water in economy class. On longer European flights we serve also biscuit or a sandwich, depending on the length of the route. On long-haul flights, our service returns closer to normal in both economy and business classes. However, the range of special meals and alcoholic beverages is still limited.

New “Clean Kit” for customers 

In addition to stepped up cleaning measures and regular disinfections onboard aircraft, for added reassurance, Finnair will launch a new “Clean Kit” that will be distributed to all passengers from the beginning of July. The kit contains hand sanitiser, surface wipes, an information leaflet and is packaged within an envelope that acts as a waste container.

The kit has a special sustainable focus and features artwork by Finnish artist Reeta Ek. The paper product has been sourced using sustainable Finnish forestry fibres and the hand sanitiser has been supplied by Kyrö distillery, who is perhaps best known for their award-winning gin. Kyrö pivoted to providing hand sanitiser to the healthcare industry when the pandemic first started.

The wearing of masks by all passengers and crew will continue to be mandatory throughout the entire journey (except when dining). Passengers are asked to prepare enough masks for their journey though a limited supply is available onboard if required in exceptional circumstances. In line with the focus on sustainability, these masks have been sourced and manufactured within Finland.

Temporary reduction in the size of hand luggage 

Finnair temporarily changes the permitted size of hand luggage. The new dimensions of hand luggage are 55x40x23cm (old dimension 56x45x25cm). Economy class tickets includes one hand luggage and a small personal item with dimensions of 40x30x15cm. The total weight of hand luggage and personal belongings may not exceed 8 kg. Business class tickets includes two hand luggage and one personal item, such as a handbag, with a total weight of up to 10 kg.

From Reuters:

“Finnair launched a share sale on Wednesday to raise 500 million euros ($568 million) from its existing investors, almost as much as its current market value as it seeks to strengthen its finances to cope with the coronavirus crisis.

Finnair, which is 55.8% state-owned, has said it was losing about 2 million euros a day as 90% of its flights were grounded, and has warned it could take two to three years for air traffic to recover to 2019 levels.”

Meanwhile Finnair is taking care of its fleet at Helsinki:

From Finnair:

PARKED BUT NOT FORGOTTEN: MAINTAINING FINNAIR’S FLEET WHILE GROUNDED

Finnair has begun discussions with its employees on possible additional layoffs.

Between April and June, Finnair is flying only 5 percent of its normal traffic and has thus already temporarily laid off its personnel.

Finnair will gradually add frequencies and routes back to its network starting from July. In July, Finnair aims to operate approximately 30% of its normal amount of flights. Finnair will review its schedule on a monthly basis and will update it as travel restrictions are removed and demand starts to recover. It estimates to fly approximately 70 percent of its normal capacity at the end of this year.

From July 1, 2020, Finnair will be flying to some 40 destinations in Europe and Asia.

As Finnair is not able to operate a full traffic program immediately due to the coronavirus situation, there is less work available for the personnel.  As Finnair has previously indicated, the need to adjust personnel resources to the situation continues at least for 2020. For this reason, Finnair will now start discussions with its personnel on additional layoffs.

The co-operations process concerns all of the approximately 6100 Finnair employees in Finland. The discussions will start on May 25. Finnair estimates that if realized, the layoffs could be temporary for fixed period of time or until further notice based on resource needs. Similar measures are planned for Finnair employees outside Finland based on the local legislation.

Finnair aircraft photo gallery:

Finnair has modified two Airbus A330 aircraft for cargo use by removing economy class seats from the cabin. This way the freight can be carried in the cabin in addition to the cargo hold.

With these changes, the cargo capacity of the aircraft up to doubles. The free cabin space will be used mainly for shipping supplies needed in the coronavirus pandemic.

In normal times, about half of the world’s freight is carried in passenger aircraft. Passenger traffic has recently dropped dramatically due to the Covid 19 pandemic, which has decreased the availability of cargo. As the global logistic network has become less accessible, there’s now increasing demand for urgent cargo shipments.

The Airbus A330 cabin is especially well suited for carrying lighter freight, as the loading happens through the regular doors. The cargo is secured in the cabin with cargo nets. About half of the existing capacity of the wide-body aircraft is already reserved for cargo below the cabin.

Finnair’s technical operations implemented the A330 modifications and removed the seats in fewer than two days. As the demand for passenger traffic increases, the planes can also be returned to passenger operations quickly.

In April and May, Finnair has been flying cargo to the large cities in China, Japan and Korea, as well as Tallinn and Brussels in Europe. Last week Finnair also started cargo flights to New York and Bangkok. Finnair is currently operating more than 50 one way cargo flights a week.

Finnair has made this announcement:

Air travel will gradually start to recover as travel restrictions are lifted. To make flying as safe as possible, Finnair is preparing for gradually growing passenger numbers with several new measures.

“Now that air travel gradually begins to recover and passenger numbers start to grow, we want everyone to be able to fly with confidence”, says Piia Karhu, SVP, Customer Experience at Finnair. “With these additional measures, we are supporting the health of our customers and employees at the airport and onboard.”

Finnair has already earlier this spring implemented several changes to protect the health of customers and employees. The service process and in-flight service have been amended, customers are seated as far away from each other onboard as possible, there are plastic shields at service points and aircraft cleaning has been further intensified. Customer service personnel follow a no-touch policy with customers’ travel documents and baggage.

The most visible change to customers now is the requirement wear a mask for the entire duration of the flight. This measure is in effect from May 18 to at least until the end of August.

“Customers will board the flight with their own mask and wear it throughout the flight,” Piia Karhu tells. “Also, Finnair’s customer facing staff at the airport as well as the cabin crew will wear surgical masks. We decided to introduce this measure because the usage of masks is becoming more widespread and they protect passengers from possible droplet infections. When everyone wears a mask, we’re able to protect each other.”

“We recommend that customers acquire a mask that fits them already before their flight, pack as little as possible and check in online or with a mobile app – all of these reduce waiting times and contacts at the airport”, Piia Karhu continues. “I’m confident everyone also understands that they won’t be able to board a flight if there is the slightest suspicion of a Covid-19 infection or if they have respiratory symptoms.”

In addition, Finnair will implement several changes in its processes.  We have taken into account the regulations and instructions by authorities as well as general developments in the industry. They will take effect latest on May 18:

• Customers are asked to maintain a minimum social distance of 1 meter at the airport
• All Finnair customer facing staff at the airport will wear a mask
• Onboard, customers are seated apart from each other whenever possible; seating arrangements are reviewed by our staff at the gate before boarding
• Customers will board the aircraft starting from those seated at the rear of the cabin
• In bus transportation, max 50% of the capacity of the bus is used
• Finnair cabin crew will wear surgical masks during the flight
• All customers are required to wear a mask from boarding to leaving the aircraft.
  • Customers are asked to bring their own masks that cover both nose and mouth.
  • Children under the age of 7 are not required to wear a mask.
  • Other exemptions from the mask rule are subject to prior clearance from Finnair Medical desk.
• Aircraft cleaning has further been intensified, with a special focus on high-touch areas
• Sanitising wipes are available for customers onboard.
• An adjusted in-flight service concept will help to decrease contact between customers and cabin crew.
• Customers are asked to travel light to minimise the amount of hand-baggage in the cabin and avoid unnecessary movement in the cabin.
• Disembarkation will happen from front to rear by groups.

Finnair will review these measures on a regular basis and update them as needed. Finavia, the Finnish airport operator, has also introduced new measures at Finnish airports. Customer facing employees at the airports will wear surgical masks, floor stickers mark social distancing rules at airports, customer service points are equipped with plastic shields and hand sanitiser is available in various locations.

According to medical experts, an aircraft is not a particularly risky environment to get an infection due to the highly efficient air conditioning and filters that keep the air very clean.

As you’re planning your travel, it’s a good idea to find out about possible restrictions and guidance at your destination. Many countries require people to wear a mask at airports or public transport, so travellers should make sure they have enough masks for the entire duration of the trip. It’s also important to take care of hand hygiene, so packing your own sanitizer and disinfecting wipes makes good sense.

Finnair aircraft photo gallery:

Finnair has released this report for April:

Finnair’s significant capacity reductions due to the coronavirus impact were clearly visible in all traffic figures

In April, Finnair carried 16,100 passengers which is 98.7% less than in the corresponding period of 2019. The overall capacity measured in Available Seat Kilometres (ASK) decreased in April by 97.0%. Finnair’s traffic measured in Revenue Passenger Kilometres (RPKs) decreased by 99.1%. The Passenger Load Factor (PLF) decreased year-on-year by 57.5% points to 23.9%. All traffic figures were heavily impacted by the significant coronavirus related capacity reductions, which were visible especially in the North Atlantic figures as there were no flights to North America in April.

The ASK decline in Asian traffic was 99.4%. The North Atlantic capacity decreased by 100.0%. In European traffic, the ASKs were down by 93.2%. The ASKs in domestic traffic decreased by 96.1%.

RPKs decreased in Asian traffic by 99.4%, in North Atlantic traffic by 100.0%, in European traffic by 98.5% and in domestic traffic by 98.7%.

The PLF was 82.7% in Asian traffic, 17.5% in European traffic and 21.9% in domestic traffic, whereas there was no PLF figure in the North Atlantic traffic due to zero flights in April.

Passenger numbers decreased in Asian traffic by 99.3%, in North Atlantic traffic by 100.0%, in European traffic by 98.4% and in domestic traffic by 98.8%.

Available scheduled cargo tonne kilometres decreased by 99.2% year-on-year and revenue scheduled cargo tonne kilometres decreased by 99.5%, both due to the coronavirus impact. However, cargo related available tonne kilometres decreased by 88.7% and revenue tonne kilometres decreased by 85.5% and they include also the cargo only flights operated primarily between Asia and Europe. Finnair operated 124 (one-way) cargo only flights in April.

In April, 95.9% of all Finnair flights arrived on schedule (82.5%).

Finnair aircraft photo gallery: