I think the problem with Finland maybe the lack of people.

They are concentrated in the Helsinki area with less than 4million occupying the rest - which is bigger than the British mainland.

Most holidaying Finns want warmth and are not much interested in culture and big cities.

My two penneth!

To some extent true. However... look at the Republic of Ireland, population just over 4,7 million (versus 2,7 million within the smallish triangle of Helsinki - Turku - Tampere area, roughly Ireland size). In ROI substantially more p2p flights exist, dozens of times more, not only to warm destinations.

Another reason? Most of Finns prefer using "kotimaista" (domestic) unless offered a big difference in prices. To Irish people Ryanair is domestic indeed. And being very well established in many other European countries RYR has just a figurative presence in Finland.

Having said this, maybe a base with the domestic staff would change it a little? On the other hand, also Brexit could force them to expand to other markets, so dear @Coochycool, let's just wait, interesting times ahead.

It's just nobody want to go to Finnland. I flew once Pisa-Tampere on Ryanair, there were total 14 pax on board. The route was discontinued in less than a month after start.

Might be true in late autumn and early spring. Otherwise, it could be just the insufficient marketing (thousands of lakes in summer, great ski conditions in winter). But OK, taking your point as well.

I was a regular on Ryanair London Stansted to Tampere, fares looked good from Ryanair's point of view, it was always a couple of hundred £ return each, flights were always near full (sometimes 100%), no competition. Mainly Finnish pax, minority of British. Yet the route was given up a couple of years ago. They have maintained routes from Tampere to a few oddball other European destinations, but given up this one. It was even common to find Russians on board from St Petersburg, and the car park at the Ryanair terminal always in Tampere had Russian cars in it. Yet the flight's gone. They never tried London Stansted from Lappeenranta, right on the Russian border.

The airport authority at Tampere even made a special terminal for Ryanair, separate to the normal one, put into a converted hangar. As they only used to have one or two flights a day it must have been an extra expense to keep it going, especially as the main one itself always seems sparsely used. It still seems to be opened up for the few Ryanair flights a week remaining.

A neighbour of mine used the Tampere - Stansted flight once, some years ago, to go to an Arsenal match (he's a fan).

As I recall it left quite late and he found it difficult arriving very late at night.

To get to Tampere (Helsinki) airport, as Ryanair described it, takes a bit of time.

It is about 200km from Helsinki!

Nowadays Norwegian flies to Gatwick and the non BA/AY customers use that.

Norwegian go from Helsinki main airport, twice per day and at roughly the same time as BA.

Norwegian may go to other UK destinations as do Finnair.

Ryanair UK......
Application lodged for an AOC with the CAA on 21.12.17 to continue flying UK domestics in the event of a "difficult" Brexit.

so scare mongering of 'all domestics cancelled' was easily rectified and therefore something and nothing....

Though obviously a very small part of the total operation the move reflects the input into the total business if RYR are moving to protect it thus.

Perhaps a competitor or two in the London market will not dismiss the move quite so quickly.

Might not just be for domestics. Depends what arrangement is reached - probably worse case, but it might not be possible for an Irish airline to operate out of the UK to anywhere but Ireland.

All bets scenario...

I would have thought the issue would be flights between the UK and elsewhere in the EU without an EU-UK open skies agreement. I wouldn't see domestic flights being affected although FR are probably covering their options as an EU based airline.

Ryanair started connecting flights about 9 months ago...

They are slowly rolling it out.

http://www.travelweekly.co.uk/articl...k-through-bags

Ryanair December figures

9.3m pax + 3%

Load factor 95% +1%

2017 total pax 129m

That must be the lowest % increase for many years.

Yes..but taking into account their particular travails in more recent times is a bit of a result none the less.

Of course it all depends on the revenue per passenger as much as the body count.

Do you now whre I can find a list of the connecting markets..?....can't seem to find one anywhere....

take a look on the corporate site. for example


https://corporate.ryanair.com/news/m...lan-bergamo-2/

The load factor can't keep going up for ever.

Based on my flights with them, I find the overall 95% figure surprising. Are they basing it on tickets sold and paid for rather than actual pax boarded ?