Aviation industry in Norway - statistics and facts
Since the first scheduled flight took place in Noway in 1920, the aviation industry has been a crucial sector for the country, not just for contributing to the nation's economy, but it is vital for connecting Norway both domestically and internationally. Norwegian air carriers have experienced a continuous increase in gross revenue throughout the years, reaching a peak of over 48 billion kroner in 2019. The significant increase in revenue comes as a result of the establishment of more air transport companies. By the end of 2019, there were 113 companies in the Norwegian aviation industry. Despite reporting positive performance growth in the industry, the sector saw a sharp decline in around every single operation in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. With planes grounded and operations extremely limited by the coronavirus pandemic restrictions, Norwegian airlines transported only 12.12 million passengers domestically in 2020. Meanwhile, the Norwegian airports reported a 63 percent decline in the total number of passengers in 2020, with only 20 million individuals contributing to Norwegian air traffic. After 2020, the industry experienced a slow but steady recovery in aviation operations. In particular, the aircraft movements gradually increased from 428,000 to 624,000 from 2020 to 2023.
The national airline of Norway, SAS- Scandinavian Airlines released three million metric tons of CO2 as of 2023. This was higher than the previous year's emissions level, which was dropped sharply due to the disrupted operations caused by the coronavirus pandemic. However, the 2023 emission figure was considerably lower than the pre-pandemic emissions levels. The other important airline in the country, Norwegian Air Shuttle emitted just under 2.5 million metric tons of CO2 greenhouse gas emissions in 2023.
Air Cargo in Norway
As of the fourth quarter of 2023, cargo traffic that included freight and mail was highest at the Oslo Gardamoen airport, handling about 33,090 tons. The reliance and the fastness of air transportation mainly drove the shift from other modes of cargo transport to air cargo, specifically due to the coronavirus pandemic. In 2020, airports in the country had some 8,427 domestic and 6,658 international freight movements, slightly higher than the pre-pandemic year's registrations. However, in 2023, figures were slowly lower than the pandemic years as a result of ease of the policies set to slow down the spread of the virus. In 2022, there were 7,309 domestic and some 6,998 international freight movements at airports in Norway.Strategies to Net Zero Aviation
Norway's political agenda is also focused on achieving the Net Zero emission goals established in the Paris Agreement to reduce aviation emissions. Norway is one of the leading countries in the green aviation transition, since the country has been actively searching for ways to reduce carbon emissions in the aviation industry. Major aviation players in Norway have signed a Letter Of Intent to set up an international test arena for zero and low emission aviation.The national airline of Norway, SAS- Scandinavian Airlines released three million metric tons of CO2 as of 2023. This was higher than the previous year's emissions level, which was dropped sharply due to the disrupted operations caused by the coronavirus pandemic. However, the 2023 emission figure was considerably lower than the pre-pandemic emissions levels. The other important airline in the country, Norwegian Air Shuttle emitted just under 2.5 million metric tons of CO2 greenhouse gas emissions in 2023.
