Avinor reports 15% increase in summer travel in Norwegian airports

Avinor, an airport operator in Norway, has reported an increase in summer travel this year compared to the previous year. In July, Avinor’s airports saw 4.8 million passengers, indicating a 15 percent rise from July 2022. Despite this improvement, the numbers are still 5 percent lower than the same month in the pre-pandemic year of 2019.

Domestic travel in July saw 2,268,000 passengers, marking a 17 percent increase from July 2022. International travel also experienced growth with 2,528,342 passengers, a rise of 14 percent from the previous year. However, international travel figures are still 8 percent below those of July 2019.

Avinor attributed last year’s lower travel numbers partly to aviation industrial action and challenges at airports in Europe. Aircraft movements in July 2023 increased by 4 percent from July 2022, but compared to July 2019, there was an 8 percent decrease.

Comparing this year’s figures to the same period in 2019, Avinor noted an 11 percent lag in total passenger numbers and a 7 percent reduction in aircraft movements.

The usage of drones also continued to rise, with 1,103 drone flights registered in July 2023 – a 164 percent increase from July 2022. Despite this growth, Avinor expressed concerns about illegal drone flights, urging individuals to familiarize themselves with the rules and regulations before operating drones.