Estonian Air posts turnover of EUR 73 mln in 2005
20. veebruar 2006
TALLINN, Feb 20, The Estonian national carrier Estonian Air earned 65.9 million kroons of profit at 1,143.5 million kroons (EUR 73 mln) of turnover last year.
According to information released on Wednesday, the partly SAS-owned Estonian Air last year carried 642,700 passengers, 18 percent more than in 2004.
Estonian Air board chairman Borge Thornbech said in comment of the 2005 results that they had grown in terms of nearly all economic indexes. "Sales proceeds have gone up by one fifth and the profit has nearly doubled."'
Thornbech said Estonian Air had managed to keep its position despite toughening competition. He said that according to the company the market share of Estonian Air in Tallinn Airport was 46 percent.
Estonian Air Vice-President Mart Relve said that internet sales was a significant keyword in 2005. During the past year we have stably sold more than half the air tickets via the internet," he said.
Growth in internet sales could also be noticed on foreign markets, and was the fastest in Great Britain and Germany.
The most popular destinations for Estonian Air in 2005 were Copenhagen, Stockholm, London and Oslo. Three new destinations will be added to Estonian Air's timetable in 2006 -- Simferopol, Dubrovnik and Barcelona, with the frequency of flights increased on the Stockholm, Oslo and Copenhagen routes.
Estonian Air offers direct flights from Tallinn to 17 European destinations. Owners of Estonian Air are the Estonian government, SAS Group and Cresco Investment Bank.
(EUR 1 = EEK 15.65)