Air transport: documentation of statistics

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.

The statistical population is formed by airports operating in Finland.

The statistical units are passenger and tonne.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

The data are released according to the target date.

No regular data revision.

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

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

Statistics Finland

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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

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)

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 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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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)

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.