A total of 172,424 passengers passed through Tallinn Airport in March, five times more than in the same period in 2021. This represents 75% of the pre-pandemic level.
Member of the Board Eero Pärgmäe says March was a very good month for the airport. “There was an increase in the number of regular flights during the month, as well as in their average capacity, which reached 63%,” he explained, adding that events in Ukraine have so far had no impact on passenger numbers. “The school holidays gave travel a boost at the start of the month, as did the switch to the summer schedule at the end of the month. Needless to say Ukraine is the key talking point at all aviation meetings at the moment, but the effect it’s had on Europe’s internal flight connections has been more modest than predicted. Airlines are moderately optimistic about summer, and we can confirm that all flights are being – and will continue to be – operated along safe flight corridors.”
Although the Estonian government decided to drop the national mask mandate from 3 April, Pärgmäe says that wearing a mask in the airport is still recommended in situations where social distancing is not possible. Moreover, many airlines still require their passengers to wear masks on board, so passengers should make sure they have one to hand at the airport.
Regular flights were operated to 35 destinations in March, along with charter flights to Egypt and the Canary Islands. The start of the month saw the launch of a Wizz Air route between Tallinn and Venice.
Ryanair was the airline with the biggest market share at Tallinn Airport in March, carrying 27% of all passengers. They were followed by airBaltic (21%), Lufthansa and Finnair (both 10%).
In total, 2972 flights were operated at the airport in March, producing an average of 96 take-offs and landings per day.
A total of 4128 passengers passed through regional airports in Estonia in March.
Tartu Airport served 208 passengers during the month. After a two-year pause, Finnair resumed flights between Tartu and Helsinki on 28 March. It is hoped the route will see active use among residents of and visitors to the southern city.
Summer may also see growth in both passenger and flight numbers in Pärnu, with flights set to commence to and from Helsinki (starting on 5 May) and Stockholm (starting on 25 June). Pärnu Airport served 125 passengers during March on the Ruhnu route.
A record-breaking 2720 passengers passed through Kuressaare Airport in March – the highest number for the month in the airport’s recent history. This was a 42% increase on the pre-pandemic level.
A total of 812 passengers passed through Kärdla Airport during the month, an increase of 74% year on year. Transaviabaltika operates 12 flights per week on the Kärdla-Tallinn route.
Ruhnu Airport was used by 263 passengers in March, from which flights operated to both Pärnu and Kuressaare. This was a 16% increase in passenger numbers year on year.
