21.3.2023 valid documentation

Basic data of the statistics

Data description

Air transport describes air traffic and transport of passengers, freight and mail at Finnish airports. Statistics Finland collects the data for the statistics from airport operators in Finland.

The statistics are produced as required by Regulation (EC) No 1358/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council, and the statistical data required by the Regulation are submitted to Eurostat. The compilation of the statistics is governed by the Statistics Act.

The data of the statistics concern air transport, that is, commercial air traffic in which passengers, freight or mail are transported for a fee or rent. Commercial air traffic comprises scheduled and chartered flights. Air transport does not include general aviation, training or military flights.

Statistical population

The statistical population is formed by airports operating in Finland.

Statistical unit

The statistical units are passenger and tonne.

Unit of measure

The units of air transport are number, freight and mail tonnes.

Reference period

The monthly statistics on air transport are published around three weeks from the end of the statistical reference month. The annual statistics on air transport are published at the end of March following the statistical reference year and they contain the final annual data concerning the previous year.

Reference area

The data of the statistics cover all commercial aviation in Finland, that is, commercial air traffic in which passengers, freight or mail are transported for a fee or rent.

Sector coverage

The data of the statistics concern air transport, that is, commercial air traffic in which passengers, freight or mail are transported for a fee or rent. Commercial air traffic comprises scheduled and chartered flights. Air traffic does not include general aviation and training or military flights.

Time coverage

The monthly statistics on air transport are published around three weeks from the end of the statistical reference month. The annual statistics on air transport are published at the end of March following the statistical reference year and they contain the final annual data concerning the previous year.

Frequency of dissemination

The monthly statistics on air transport are published around three weeks from the end of the statistical reference month. The annual statistics on air transport are published at the end of March following the statistical reference year and they contain the final annual data concerning the previous year.

Concepts

Air traffic passenger transport performance

Number of passengers multiplied by the number of flown kilometres.

Air traffic performance

The total number of flown kilometres during a specific unit of time, usually one year.

Air traffic transport performance

Volume of transported passengers, freight and mail in tonnes multiplied by the number of flown kilometres.

Aircraft

An aircraft is a vehicle moving in the atmosphere, such as an airplane, helicopter and hot-air balloon.

Airplane

An airplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with a weight greater than the air.

Airport

A defined area which is entirely or partly intended for commercial air traffic activities.

Airport terminal

A self-contained facility for handling of air traffic freight and passenger transport.

Charter air traffic

Chartered flight.

Commercial aviation

Commercial aviation is commercial air traffic, in which passengers, freight or mail are transported in exchange for a fee or rent. Commercial air traffic comprises scheduled and chartered flights and air taxi traffic. Commercial aviation does not include general aviation, training or military flights.

Domestic air traffic passenger

A domestic passenger departs from and arrives at an airport in Finland.

International air traffic passenger

A domestic passenger departs from and arrives at an airport in Finland.

Passenger, air traffic

A passenger arriving or departing or a transfer passenger changing planes. Passenger statistics do include infants, but do not include transit passengers (a passenger who does not change planes).

Scheduled flight

Scheduled air traffic.

Tonne-kilometre

Transport of one tonne of goods over a distance of one kilometre.

Transfer passenger, air traffic

A transfer passenger arrives at the airport by air and continues his/her journey to another airport.

Accuracy, reliability and timeliness

Overall accuracy

The statistics on air transport are regularly made accounts of the passenger and freight volumes of airports operating in Finland. Airport operators may publish corresponding statistics describing their airports. Statistics Finland monitors that these statistics are coherent with data reported to Statistics Finland.

Timeliness and punctuality

The data are released on schedule according to the release calendar.

Timeliness

The monthly statistics on air transport are published around three weeks from the end of the statistical reference month. The annual statistics on air transport are published at the end of March following the statistical reference year and they contain the final annual data concerning the previous year.

Time lag - final results (user) / TP2

The monthly data of the statistics on air transport are published around three weeks from the end of the statistical reference month.

Time lag - final results (producer) / TP2

Approximately three weeks.

Punctuality

The data are released according to the target date.

Data revision - practice

No regular data revision.

Comparability

Comparability - geographical

The data are comparable on the level of the whole country.

Length of comparable time series / CC2

Three years.

Coherence - cross domain

The statistics on air transport are regularly made accounts of the passenger and freight volumes of airports operating in Finland. Airport operators may publish corresponding statistics describing their airports. Statistics Finland monitors that these statistics are coherent with data reported to Statistics Finland.

Source data and data collections

Source data

The data of the statistics on air transport are based on airport-specific data that Statistics Finland collects monthly from airport operators in Finland as register data.

Frequency of data collection

The data are collected monthly (monthly statistics) and annually (annual statistics).

Methods

Data compilation

The data are processed to correspond to the classifications used in the statistics.

Data validation

Experts evaluate the data before their publication and compare the data with the previous year’s data.

Documentation on methodology

The statistics on air transport are based on data submitted by airport operators in Finland.

Principles and outlines

Contact organisation

Statistics Finland

Contact organisation unit

Social Statistics

Legal acts and other agreements

The compilation of statistics is guided by the Statistics Act. The Statistics Act contains provisions on collection of data, processing of data and the obligation to provide data. Besides the Statistics Act, the Data Protection Act and the Act on the Openness of Government Activities are applied to processing of data when producing statistics. 

Statistics Finland compiles statistics in line with the EU’s regulations applicable to statistics, which steer the statistical agencies of all EU Member States.  

Further information: Statistical legislation

Confidentiality - policy

The data protection of data collected for statistical purposes is guaranteed in accordance with the requirements of the Statistics Act (280/2004), the Act on the Openness of Government Activities (621/1999), the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679 and the Data Protection Act (1050/2018). The data materials are protected at all stages of processing with the necessary physical and technical solutions. Statistics Finland has compiled detailed directions and instructions for confidential processing of the data. Employees have access only to the data essential for their duties. The premises where unit-level data are processed are not accessible to outsiders. Members of the personnel have signed a pledge of secrecy upon entering the service. Violation of data protection is punishable. 

Further information: Data protection | Statistics Finland (stat.fi)

Release policy

Statistics Finland publishes new statistical data at 8 am on weekdays in its web service. The release times of statistics are given in advance in the release calendar available in the web service. The data are public after they have been updated in the web service. 

Further information: Publication principles for statistics at Statistics Finland

Data sharing

Data on the statistics on air transport are available on the publication date of the release on the home page of the statistics. The data of the statistics are also available in Statistics Finland's StatFin database service. The statistics are produced as required by Regulation (EC) No 1358/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council and the statistical data required by the Regulation are submitted to Eurostat.

Accessibility and clarity

Statistical data are published as database tables in the StatFin database. The database is the primary publishing site of data, and new data are updated first there. When releasing statistical data, existing database tables can be updated with new data or completely new database tables can be published.   

In addition to statistical data published in the StatFin database, a release on the key data is usually published in the web service. If the release contains data concerning several reference periods (e.g. monthly and annual data), a review bringing together these data is published in the web service. Database tables updated at the time of publication are listed both in the release and in the review. In some cases, statistical data can also be published as mere database releases in the StatFin database. No release or review is published in connection with these database releases. 

Releases and database tables are published in three languages, in Finnish, Swedish and English. The language versions of releases may have more limited content than in Finnish.   

Information about changes in the publication schedules of releases and database tables and about corrections are given as change releases in the web service.

Micro-data access

Special compilations of the statistical data can also be made on assignment.

Data revision - policy

If the published data need to be changed, this is always indicated to the user of the data in question in the release and database tables.

User needs

The volume of passenger and freight traffic in air transport and its development at Finnish airports are followed by Eurostat, the media, researchers and other users.

Quality management

When compiling statistics, Statistics Finland observes the European Statistics Code of Practice (CoP) and the Quality Assurance Framework (QAF) based on them.

Quality assurance

Quality management requires comprehensive guidance of activities. The quality management framework of the field of statistics is the European Statistics Code of Practice (CoP). The quality criteria of Official Statistics of Finland are compatible with the European Statistics Code of Practice. 

Further information: Quality management | Statistics Finland (stat.fi)

User access

Data are released to all users at the same time. Statistical data may only be handled at Statistics Finland and information on them may be given before release only by persons involved in the production of the statistics concerned or who need the data of the statistics concerned in their own work before the data are published. 

Further information: Publication principles for statistics 

Unless otherwise separately stated in connection with the product, data or service concerned, Statistics Finland is the producer of the data and the owner of the copyright. The terms of use for statistical data.

Statistical experts

Kiia Lempinen
Senior Statistician
029 551 3462

The documentation released before 5.4.2022 can be found on the archive pages of the statistics.

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