Passenger numbers have met the airline’s expectations, and the route is used steadily by Finnish, German and other international passengers.
Monday 16 December marks one year since Lufthansa’s direct service between Munich and Oulu was inaugurated. The route has been operated twice a week as a round-trip since the beginning, and it is the only year-round international connection from Oulu airport.
Lufthansa’s Northern Europe sales team visited Oulu for a meeting at the end of November. Sven Thaler, Sales Director for Northern Europe, interviewed by the newspaper Kaleva, said that the Oulu-Munich route has been a success, and that Lufthansa want to maintain it also in the future. Passenger number have been equally good in summer as in winter. The addition of a third weekly flight is also a possibility at some point.
– The year has gone by quickly, with generally satisfactory passenger numbers that are in line with our expectations. Initially, the clear majority of passengers were from Finland, but demand has levelled off and the route now has the right mix of Finnish, German and other international passengers, says Markus Issakainen, Sales Manager for Lufthansa Group airlines in Finland.
According to tourism statistics, the number of German tourists in Oulu has been increasing ever since the opening of the Munich connection – by as much as 27% this year. The results of surveys carried out by BusinessOulu at Oulu Airport in spring and autumn also show that the average length of stay for tourists coming to Oulu is quite long, with more than six overnights on average. This also means a nice boost to the region’s tourism revenues.
The route not only offers northern Finns a direct link to central Europe, but also a valuable connection to Lufthansa’s extensive network of other routes globally.
– Passengers in the Oulu region also appreciate the existence of Business Class, which has clearly met a demand. We have received praise for the new route and would also like to thank those who have already travelled on the route. Thank you also to BusinessOulu, the Oulu Chamber of Commerce and Visit Oulu for their excellent cooperation with the route, says Issakainen.
The City of Oulu’s air traffic development programme is continuously working to further develop air connections. In addition to possible additional flights by Lufthansa, other operators are also hoped to serve both domestic traffic and direct connections abroad in the future.