About the statistics

1. Administrative information

1.1. Name

Air transport

1.2. Subject group

10.12.50 Air Transport

http://www.ssb.no/english/subjects/10/12/50/flytrafikk_en/

1.3. Frequency and timeliness

Frequency: Quarterly.

Timeliness: The statistics are published within five month after the end of the quarter.

1.4. Regional level

Airport.

1.5. Responsible division

Division for transport and tourism statistics.

1.6. Legal authority

Voluntarily reporting from Avinor to Statistics Norway.

1.7. Legal document (EU)

Regulation No 437/2003 of the European Parliament and of the council of 27 February 2003 on statistical returns in respect of the carriage of passengers, freight and mail by air. Commission Regulation No 135/2003 on carrying out regulation No 437/2003.

1.8. International reporting

Avinor reports the same figures to Eurostat.

2. Background and purpose

2.1. Purpose and history

The purpose of this survey is to publish data on passengers and goods transported through Norwegian airports. This survey contains data on both scheduled and charter traffic to and from Norwegian and foreign airports. Avinor has published transport statistics by air for many years, and is publishing monthly figures on air traffic at www.avinor.no.

2.2. Users and applications

Public authorities and research institutions are using the statistics when conducting transport planning and producing transport models. Other important groups of users include enterprises within transportation and transport planners. Statistics Norway is using the data when producing the domestic transport performances. The figures are also included in the national accounts and in the energy account.

3. Statistics production

3.1. Population

The survey includes all Norwegian airports with civil air traffic.

3.2. Data sources

Data files from Avinor.

3.3. Sampling

No sampling.

3.4. Collection of data

Data files are received from Avinor quarterly.

3.5. Control and revision

The figures are controlled against monthly press releases published by Avinor, and against data published by Eurostat.

3.6. Estimation

The data files are aggregated by airport and month. The figures are published as received by Avinor.

3.7. Confidentiality

There are no problems with confidentiality since Avinor publishes monthly figures by airport.

4. Concepts, variables and classifications

4.1. Definitions of the main concepts and variables

Scheduled traffic is the ordinary traffic where the seats are available for the public purchase and are operated after a timetable. Charter traffic is non-scheduled services for remuneration other than those reported under scheduled services. This also includes taxi flights. Domestic traffic is traffic between Norwegian airports. International traffic is traffic between a Norwegian and a foreign airport. Direct transit passengers are passengers who continue their journey on a flight on the same flight number as the flight which they arrived. Transfer passengers are passengers who continue their journey on a flight not having the same flight number as the flight on which they arrived.

4.2. Standard classifications

Airports. Airports with less than 100 thousand passengers per year are grouped in Other airports.

5. Sources of error and uncertainty

5.1. Measurement and processing errors

The airlines or their agents report detailed data on air traffic and air movements to Avinor four times a month. The charges at Avinor are based on departures and not on arrivals. Therefore the reported figures are more correct for the departing air traffic. The published data might therefore deviate from the real passenger figures, and most for the arriving air traffic. Missing reports or late reporting from the airlines or agents might explain the deviation in the figures, and Avinor will in those cases estimate a number of passengers for the flight. The uncertainty in the figures is lowest on aggregated level. The figures can deviate with 5 per cent on aggregated level, and up to 10 per cent on more detailed level.

In 2004 and 2005 there are used aggregated figures from the airports, due to poor quality in the data files from Avinor. The figures are reported annual and not quarterly for these years.

5.2. Non-response errors

Not relevant.

5.3. Sampling errors

Not relevant.

5.4. Other sources of error

Not relevant.

6. Comparability and coherence

6.1. Comparability over time and space

The statistics is published from the year 2003 and onwards. Statistical Yearbook has contained air transport statistics for several years, but is based on a different reporting from Avinor than the data files mentioned in section one.

6.2. Coherence with other statistics

The statistics are comparable with air transport statistics from Avinor at www.avinor.no.

Air transport statistics are also included in the survey Domestic transport performances (www.ssb.no/english/subjects/10/12/transpinn_en/). As compared to the Air transport statistics, the Domestic transport performances count the number of journeys and not the number of passengers. The figures for air traffic will therefore deviate between these two surveys. For example, one traveller from Alta to Bergen is counted as one in the Domestic transport performances survey, even though this journey is comprised of several flights. In the Air transport statistics this journey are counted for every flight getting from place of departure to place of destination.

7. Availability

7.1. Publications and other links

The statistics are published on the internet at www.ssb.no.

7.2. Micro data

The micro data is stored temporarily in the programming language SAS, and is stored permanently as text-files.


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