Finnair Overestimated Demand for Helsinki – Ekaterinburg – Helsinki Route

06.05.2009 — News

THE SVERDLOVSK OBLAST.

Finnair dropped the plans to use a larger capacity aircraft on the Helsinki-Ekaterinburg - Helsinki route. Earlier it was intended that from May 2009 the A-319 aircraft will be replaced by the A-320 which has the capacity for 40 passengers more.

The Ekaterinburg Finnair office informed RusBusinesNews that the current demand makes the replacement unnecessary. However, the company is still considering the option to increase the number of flights from 3 to 4 a week.

In January-March 2009 the number of passengers on the Helsinki-Ekaterinburg-Helsinki route amounted to 2,968. In February-March Finnair flights had a stable sales rate of 60-70% of seats which grew in April and reached 100% during the May holidays.

Finnair started flying to Ekaterinburg in September 2008. 80% of the passengers transit through Helsinki. The carrier offers flights from Helsinki airport to more than 60 destinations in Europe, Asia, and America.