The passenger load factor of 72 per cent increased by almost 61 per cent to 2.5 million passengers, adding up to a passenger load factor of almost 61 per cent.
On Wednesday, Topi Manner, the CEO of Finnair, said the flag carrier is about to leave behind the acute three-year period of the crisis and continues to recover.
He said that this is another important step in the right direction, but the road to profitability on an annual level is long and full of challenges in the operating environment, despite the fact that the full-year operating result remained 164 million euros in the red.
Finnair carried 9.1 million passengers in 2022, an increase of 6.2 million from 2021, with a passenger load factor of 68 per cent.
Manner reminded that despite persistent challenges, such as high fuel prices, the war in Ukraine and the closure of Russian airspace, the last three months of last year brought some good news. Japan opened its borders to international travellers. China has relaxed its pandemic restrictions, paving the way for a gradual restart of travel.
On the one hand, the market is developing more positively than previously anticipated, and on the other hand, the continued strong cost inflation, we expect the strengthening of unit revenues to play a bigger role than we previously expected in achieving our targets, he said.
People want to travel, and demand is expected to continue despite the economic uncertainty and weak consumer confidence. YLE on Wednesday noted that passenger jets are filling up despite buying power eroding and fares are at their highest level in years. Manner said to the public broadcasting company that one factor is related to remote work practices in the post-pandemic world: people working remotely on Friday so that they can enjoy a long weekend in other parts of Europe.
He said that people are prioritising different experiences while weighing up their consumption choices, and that is evident in booking habits.