I wrote it here in December 2009:
Ryanair are extremely prudent starting just twice-weekly flights on the NRN-LPP route. Well, the airline underestimates the potential coming from across the Russian border, presumably. Never mind, let's wait and see. I live pretty far from Lappeenranta, but intend to fly therefrom to be able to estimate the percentage of Russians aboard.
...and here is my report.
I've managed to test this route a few days before the European skies became covered by ashes. While I came by car driving some 200km from the West, most of the passengers travelled roughly the same distance from across the border. Have to say, I was really impressed. Yes, it's true! Some 60% of pax spoke Russian, the rest Finnish, only a few Germans could be spotted there. Just 3 or 4 free seats from Lappeenranta to NRN, 9 or 10 left on the return leg. Well-organized groups of Russian travellers came in dozens of private cars and vans. A few days later back in LPP a big coach waiting for them and anybody else going to St. Petersburg - it works! They tell me the return fare to St. Petersburg would amount to 25 euros.
So it looks like the great success? Yes, like a potential one. But only theoretically. Somewhat typically for FR, they are very slow to react. With two flights weekly this opportunity will not realize without new routes/ frequencies. Not during this season at least. If they count on small community of Lappeenranta as a source of marketing support to achieve the goal of transferring Russian pax to Europe - it will hardly happen. Sometimes it just pays to be quick as the chance arises, the potential is vast, despite lack of advertising. It's clear for me, yet not necessarily for Ryanair.