Finnish airports handled a total of 1.7 million passengers in October 2024, a 11% increase on the same month the previous year, new data from Statistics Finland has shown.
The number of passengers on international flights increased by 9%, while domestic flight passengers saw a significant 22% rise.
Helsinki leads the way
Helsinki, the capital, managed 87% of all airport passenger traffic, accommodating 1.5 million passengers, which was 10% higher than in the previous year.
Other domestic airports, meanwhile, handled 220,000 passengers, marking an 18% increase.
Of all passengers to transit through Finnish airports in October, more than four fifths (83%) traveled on international routes, however this was as high as 90% at Helsinki Airport.
In the period from January to October 2024, Finnish airports served a total of 16 million passengers, an increase of 6% compared to the same period in 2023.
Passenger numbers have plateaued at approximately 1.7 million monthly since June 2024, the data showed.
Elsewhere, freight and mail transport grew by 6% in the January to October period, reaching a cumulative total of 153,000 tonnes for the first ten months of the year.
Leisure travel rises
Separate data from Statistics Finland showed that leisure travel, both domestically and internationally, rose in September – around 0.6 million leisure trips to destinations overseas were taken in the month, a 20% increase compared to the same month in 2023.
Domestic leisure travel also experienced growth, with roughly 2.0 million overnight trips recorded in September 2024, up by more than 10% from the previous year.
In contrast, domestic business travel saw a 25% decrease compared to September 2023.
‘Altogether, 50 per cent more overnight stays were recorded for leisure trips abroad than in September 2023, which was visible as an extension of the average duration of trips by two nights,’ Statistics Finland said. Read more here and here.
