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Domestic Air Passenger Route Analysis by Each Reporting Airport

Please note the introduction of 12.3 Domestic Air Passenger Route Analysis with effect from January 2012. This is an alternative version of Table 12.2 Domestic Air Passenger Route Analysis table. Unlike Table 12.2, duplicated routes have not been removed on Table 12.3. Table 12.3 shows domestic passenger traffic as reported by each airport, any table totals, therefore, overstate the actual number of passengers. Totals reported by airports over a given airport pair are not necessarily the same.

New EU entrants

In May 2004 ten new entrants were admitted into the European Union. These countries are shown in our Airport Statistics tables as EU countries with effect from the January 2005 Monthly tables and the 2004 Annual tables. Bulgaria & Romania entered the EU January 2007 and are included in EU tables from this time apart from Bulgarian airlines who are included from January 2009.

Historical Annual Airport Tables 1990 – 1996

Please note that those tables providing an EU split are based on status of the EU at the time the tables were produced (i.e. Autumn 2008 - EU27) and not on the status of the EU applicable to the relevant data period 1990-1996. Unfortunately, due to the way information is held on our Airport database, it is only possible to provide the latest available/current EU split.

Important information on data changes made in 2001

With effect from June 2001 we made some changes to the way that data is reported. In order to use these statistics safely, particularly if you are constructing time-series, you should be aware of the following:

Table 12.2 Annual 2001: Prior to June 2001 data we did not collect a domestic passenger uplift/ discharge. Consequently, prior to June all passengers are recorded between the reporting airport and the origin/ destination of the flight on our database.

Air Taxi operations (defined for statistical purposes as charter flights utilising aircraft of less than 15 tonnes MTWA - except for helicopter operations to oil rigs) are no longer included in most of the tables. This has the following effect on our publications:

Annual publications

  1. Air transport movement statistics are affected as follows:
    • In order to retain the ability to produce a series of movements using the previous definition, air taxis will remain in the total of air transport movements in summary Tables 2.1, 2.3, 2.4 and in Table 3.1.
    • In all other tables containing air transport movements air taxis have been excluded. Our database has been amended so that all data for 2001 is presented using the new definition. Time-series tables, other than those listed in 1.1.1 above, also present data using the revised definition.
    • This means that some air transport movement data presented in annual publications from 2001 onward will not agree with figures published in earlier editions.
  2. Terminal passenger, freight and mail statistics are affected as follows:
    • Traffic carried on air taxi services is excluded entirely from all tables with effect from the 2001 edition. It is not possible to continue with a time-series using the previous definition.
    • Historic data has been adjusted so that traffic data is presented on a common basis within each publication from 2001 onward.
    • This means that some traffic data presented in annual publications from 2001 onward will not agree with figures published in earlier editions.

Monthly publications

  1. Air transport movement statistics are affected as follows:
    • In order to retain the ability to produce a series of movements using the previous definition, air taxis will remain in the total of air transport movements in summary Tables 2 and in Table 3.
    • In all other tables containing air transport movements air taxis have been excluded. Our database has been amended so that all comparisons with the previous year are presented using the new definition.
    • This means that some air transport movement data presented in monthly publications from June 2001 onward will not agree with figures published in earlier editions.
  2. Terminal passenger, freight and mail statistics are affected as follows:
    • Traffic carried on air taxi services is excluded entirely from all tables with effect from the June2001 edition. It is not possible to continue with a time-series using the previous definition.
    • Historic data has been adjusted so that previous year comparisons of traffic data is presented on a common basis within each publication from 2001 onward.
    • This means that some traffic data presented in monthly publications from June 2001 onward will not agree with figures published in earlier editions.

Frequently asked questions

What is the source of UK Airport data?

The Airport Authorities provide us with data that they receive from either Handling Agents or the Airlines themselves.

Close What is the source of UK Airport data?

How is it determined which airports are included?

We collect data from mainland airports handling scheduled and major charter services. The European Commission's Regulation 1993 also dictates that data must be collected from airports handling certain levels of traffic.

Close How is it determined which airports are included?

How soon after a month is data released?

We update the published tables every fortnight to include airport submissions that have been accepted most recently. Therefore, airport data can potentially be published within a 14 days from the end of a data month. Typically, not all airports will have been submitted within 14 days so we accompany the published table with a message showing which airport's data is not included. We will show the message “Complete” when the published tables contain data from all expected airports. All published data has been validated.

Close How soon after a month is data released?

What is the difference between Aircraft Movements and Air Transport Movements?

Aircraft Movement: Any aircraft take-off or landing at an airport. These could be either commercial or non-commercial flights. For airport traffic purposes one arrival and one departure are counted as two movements.

Air Transport Movements: Landings or take-offs of aircraft engaged on the transport of passengers, freight or mail on commercial terms. All scheduled movements, including those operated empty, loaded charter and air taxi movements are included.

Close What is the difference between Aircraft Movements and Air Transport Movements?

What sort of information can I access from the Airport database?

We collect and publish overall totals of activity from approximately 60 airports, this includes the number of Aircraft Movements, Air Transport Movements, Passengers, Freight and Mail, International and Domestic Route passenger numbers. This information can be downloaded for free from our Data pages.

Close What sort of information can I access from the Airport database?

What is the definition of an Air Taxi Movement?

Within our airport database collection this is a movement by an aircraft of less than 15MTOM operating a non-scheduled service, these services are predominantly sole-use charter operations.

Close What is the definition of an Air Taxi Movement?

Where can I find information on helicopter movements?

Airport table 19 provides a split of Air Transport Movement totals by fixed and rotary wing aircraft, however, for rotary wing only scheduled and oil-rig related charter movements are included. Helicopters, being below 15MTOM generally, are considered 'air taxi' (the oil-rig charter collection being an exception to the 'air taxi' rule)

You may wish to view a table within our UK Airline suite (www.caa.co.uk/airlinestatistics). Table 10, Public Air Transport Air Taxi Operations, provides details of hours flown and flights performed by all aircraft types operated by UK licensed operators.

Close Where can I find information on helicopter movements?

Where can I find figures on Business Aviation?

We collect the number of flights handled by our reporting airports (Table 3 in monthly publications, 3.1 in the annual version), although there are many flights of this type operating to/from other airfields from whom data is not collected.

Our definition of Business Aviation movements - they are non-commercial movements operated on aircraft of 2730 kgs MTOM or greater conducting business operations (e.g. aircraft owned and operated by Multi-national companies)

Close Where can I find figures on Business Aviation?

How can I identify ‘low cost’ operations within the Airport data?

We do not have a separate identifier for 'low cost' as they are recorded as 'scheduled'.

If requesting information for 'low cost' carriers please identify which airlines you require, as there are many different definitions and opinions within the industry as to 'low cost' identification.

Close How can I identify ‘low cost’ operations within the Airport data?

How can I find figures for cargo carried to/from UK Airports?

Cargo is a sum of freight and mail carried. Freight table numbers are 13, 14, 15 and for mail the table numbers are 16, 17, 18.

Freight includes the weight of property carried on an aircraft including the weight of excess baggage and diplomatic bags, but excluding mail and passengers' and crews' permitted baggage. Freight in transit through the airport on the same aircraft is excluded.

Mail is the weight of Post Office mail carried.

Close How can I find figures for cargo carried to/from UK Airports?

Where can I find passenger numbers between two airports?

We produce two tables in which you can find this information. For international routes, table 12.1, this includes passengers travelling worldwide on a flight either to/from a UK reporting airport. For domestic routes, table 12.2, which was introduced with effect from June 2001. Information is not available prior to this time.

Note: passengers travelling both from and to the UK would be counted as 2 passengers.

For more detail than provided in these tables (e g broken down by airline or with an arrival/departure split) please contact us.

Close Where can I find passenger numbers between two airports?

Why are domestic passenger figures different when comparing the grand total on table 12.2 with other tables identifying domestic totals?

Domestic traffic is counted both at the airport of arrival and at the airport of departure. The total domestic traffic is, therefore, only a measure of airport activity. The exception being in table 12.2 where duplication is eliminated so that actual passenger numbers are shown.

Close Why are domestic passenger figures different when comparing the grand total on table 12.2 with other tables identifying domestic totals?

What is the difference between Terminal and Transit passengers as recorded in Airport Statistics?

  1. A terminal passenger is a passenger joining or leaving an aircraft at the reporting airport. A passenger travelling between two reporting airports is counted twice, once at each airport. A passenger who changes from one aircraft to another, carrying the same flight number (change of gauge) is treated as a terminal passenger, as is an interlining passenger.
  2. A transit passenger is a passenger who arrives at and departs from a reporting airport on the same aircraft which is transiting the airport. Each transit passenger is counted once only and not both on arrival and on departure.
Close What is the difference between Terminal and Transit passengers as recorded in Airport Statistics?

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