Slower passenger growth for Swedish civil aviation in 2018

Number of passengers at Swedish airports were during 2018 higher than ever: 39.3 millions. Compared to previous year the number of passengers increased by 1.1 percent. This is the smallest annual growth rate since the economic downturn in 2009. The number of passengers in domestic aviation decreased by 3.6 percent 2018, whilst the international aviation had an increase by 2.3 percent.

- 2018 was the ninth consecutive year with a growing number of passengers at Swedish airports. The passenger growth rate however, was the lowest since 2009 and domestic traffic by air even fell, says Henrik Petterson, project manager at Transport analysis. The explanation to the slower passenger growth is probably a combination of flight taxes, weaker economy and the current climate debate.

Number of passengers in scheduled and non-scheduled traffic: domestic, international and total. Million passengers, 2008−2018.

Of all passengers 2018 around 19 percent travelled in domestic traffic and 81 percent in international traffic. The occupancy rate or load factor measures how well-filled the aircraft is. In the official statistics, a new measure for the load factor has been developed. The load factor for international traffic has continuously increased during the period 2013–2017, from around 71 percent to 75 percent. In 2018, on the other hand, the load factor fell slightly. In domestic traffic, the load factor has instead remained fairly stable around 63−65 percent.

The data are taken from tables Civil Aviation 2018. Transport analysis is the responsible statistical authority and the Swedish Transport Agency has produced the statistics on behalf of Transport analysis.