Fintraffic statistics show: Pandemic still visible in traffic on land, at sea and in the air

The pandemic and its associated restrictions can still be seen in traffic volumes in all modes of transport. Compared to the pre-pandemic era, air traffic still has the lowest volumes, but it has also been quieter than usual on the roads, railways and sea during the second quarter of the year (Q2/2021). However, growth can be seen in some areas, such as road traffic, long-distance rail traffic, rail freight traffic, and the number of overflights.

“The pandemic has had a major impact on the transport sector all across the world, including Finland. It has weakened both the financial position of companies in the sector and their ability to develop services. In order to maintain good development in travel and transport chains over the coming years, it will be vital to raise the level of digitalisation in the sector, boost our capacity to utilise data to enhance the user experience and efficiency, and reduce emissions. At Fintraffic, we want to work for the benefit of the entire transport sector, so it can achieve new growth and gain a competitive advantage through a fair data economy and even better services,” says Fintraffic’s CEO Pertti Korhonen.

An increase in overflights in Finnish airspace

Air traffic has been cautiously increasing during the spring and early summer. The most growth has been seen in traffic flying over Finland, which currently stands at about half of pre-pandemic levels. The number of overflights in June reached the highest level during the pandemic. The number of flights to Finnish airports has also risen slightly, but is still around 75 per cent lower than before the pandemic.

“More overflights mean that air traffic in Europe has started to recover. This is also reflected in the fact that various airlines have announced that they will be opening up new routes in Finland during the second half of the year. In many other countries, air traffic has recovered faster than in Finland. It’s therefore important for Finland to develop its own health security practices for entering the country in tandem with the rest of Europe. After the protracted crisis, the air transport market is being redistributed. It’s a national task to ensure that the Finnish cluster continues to succeed and provide Finland with comprehensive air connections,” says Raine Luojus, CEO of Fintraffic Air Navigation Services. 

Fintraffic provides air navigation services both to airports and to airlines whose flights go through Finnish airspace.

Road traffic picks up on last year

During the first half of the year, traffic volumes on Finland’s roads increased on the corresponding period of the previous year.  Year-on-year growth of 2.5 per cent was seen in January–June. (Traffic was at normal levels until the outbreak of the pandemic in March 2020.) Particularly strong growth was seen in April 2021, when light-vehicle traffic increased by as much as 35 per cent on the corresponding period of the previous year. More moderate changes were seen with respect to heavy vehicles.

However, in spite of this growth, traffic volumes are still lower than they were pre-pandemic in 2019, when there was 5–10 per cent more traffic on the road in the April–June period.

“Before the pandemic, road traffic volumes had been growing by an average of about 2 per cent per year in Finland. It’s possible that the pandemic will permanently change how Finns use transport, for example, due to the rise in remote working and e-commerce,” says Aapo Anderson, CEO of Fintraffic Road.

The total road traffic volumes for each region have been collected using Fintraffic’s automatic road traffic measurement points (LAM points). 

An increase in rail freight

Rail traffic is becoming increasingly important in goods transport. In the second quarter, the number of freight trains exceeded both 2020 and 2019 volumes.

The effects of the pandemic are still highly visible in passenger traffic, as the number of rail passengers is clearly lower than usual. However, the number of long-distance trains in April–June was almost ten per cent higher than in the corresponding period of 2020.

“Passenger traffic volumes continue to suffer from the coronavirus pandemic, and travel has not returned to pre-pandemic levels. On the other hand, rail freight traffic is growing. Significant improvement and development projects have been carried out in the railway network during the first half of the year, and will continue throughout the summer. Track work will have an impact on train punctuality,” says Sanna Järvenpää, Operative Director, Fintraffic Railway.

Maritime transport vital for Finland

Maritime transport is of great importance to Finland, as the majority of its foreign trade is conducted by sea. No major changes have occurred in cargo traffic as a result of the pandemic. In fact, smooth transport has ensured Finland’s security of supply and enabled society to function during exceptional circumstances.

However, low passenger traffic volumes are still reflected in total volumes for shipping. Passenger traffic has begun to recover recently, as shipping companies have reopened their passenger routes. In practice, no international cruise ships will be seen in the Gulf of Finland for the time being.

Read more about road and rail traffic volumes: https://www.fintraffic.fi/fi/fintraffic/liikennemaarat

See also:
https://www.fintraffic.fi/en/news/traffic-remained-exceptionally-low-first-quarter-year

https://www.fintraffic.fi/en/news/blog-growth-international-traffic-market-worth-seizing

 

Further information and requests for interviews:
Saara Salaja, Communications Manager, Fintraffic, tel. 050 414 2734