The Business & Industry Guides series is produced by the Library & Information Service for ICAEW members and ACA students.

We can compile tailored key players reports, mailing lists, market reports, benchmarking reports and industry news. Our enquiry team can also research other industry-specific information, such as taxation, for you. Call us on +44 (0)20 7920 8620 or email library@icaew.com.

Airlines: Riding the recovery
Annual publication from KPMG providing insights into the commercial aviation industry through a series of in-depth interviews with major aviation leaders on the challenges facing the sector. Areas discussed include the recovery of the industry after the global pandemic and war in Europe, aviation finance, leasing and ESG. Published in January 2023.

Aviation Outlook 2050
Report by Eurocontrol providing forecasts for flights in Europe to 2050 based on three different scenarios for economic growth. Also includes estimates of net CO2 emissions with insights into how aviation can move towards the target of net-zero by 2050. Published in April 2022.

Aviation Industry Outlook 2022
Annual publication from PwC Strategy& looking at major trends, challenges and opportunities for commercial airline carriers globally.

Other market research specialists

Some free information is available from the following market research specialists, ranging from industry news to executive summaries of the reports.

Euromonitor
A full listing of reference products and research reports for the travel sector from Euromonitor, with a range of major market profiles country reports on airlines and global air transportation. Each report provides a contents listing and a useful executive summary reporting on the key trends in each country report.

IBISWorld
Busines and industry research specialists offering reports on a wide range of sectors, including passenger flights and freight air transport. Report snapshots, table of contents and a sample report are available. The company also produces global industry research reports.

Mintel
Report from Mintel covering the UK airlines market. The website includes a summary and the option to view a contents listing.

Aerospace Defence Security (ADS)

ADS publishes an annual UK Aerospace Outlook, which gives key trends, turnover, order intake, employment, research and development, international trade, regional trends and information on the UK aerospace industry's global presence.

Centre for the study of Regulated Industries (CRI)

The Centre for the study of Regulated Industries published UK Airports Industry: Airport Statistics annually until its closure as an active research centre in 2010. The latest and previous editions of this report are available to download for free on its statistical series page.

Civil Aviation Authority

The Civil Aviation Authority collects and disseminates statistics and market information about the UK aviation industry including:

• airport statistics covering traffic in and out of the UK
• airline statistics covering the activity of UK carriers worldwide
• punctuality statistics measuring the punctuality of passenger services at 10 UK airports

Department for Transport

The Department for Transport is a leading source of transport data and publishes a series of aviation statistics, covering:

• activity at UK airports, including number of flights, passengers and volume of freight handled
• activity by UK airlines, including distance flown, passengers uplifted, seat occupancy, fleet size and employment
• summary statistics for major international airports and airlines
• casualties caused by aviation and air proximity incidents
• public attitudes to aviation and airport expansion
• passenger experience of air travel, including security screening.

Office for National Statistics

The Annual Business Survey (ABS) from the Office for National Statistics collects financial information covering UK production, construction, distribution and service industries. Statistics available include:

• number of enterprises;
• total turnover;
• approximate gross value added at basic prices;
• total purchases of goods, materials and services;
• total employment costs;
• total net capital expenditure;
• total net capital expenditure – acquisitions;
• total net capital expenditure – disposals;
• total stocks and work in progress – value at end of year;
• total stocks and work in progress – value at beginning of year;
• total stocks and work in progress – increase during year.

The dataset Non-financial business economy, UK: Sections A to S includes statistics for:

• Manufacturing of air and spacecraft and related machinery (30.3)
  See Section C: Manufacturing
• Air transport (51)
  See Section H: Transport and storage

Eurostat

Eurostat, the EU statistics hub, collates detailed Structural Business Statistics giving the latest figures for industry, construction, trade and services by sector and country. The indicators available include:

• number of enterprises
• turnover or gross premiums written
• production value
• value added at factor cost
• gross operating surplus
• wages and salaries
• social security costs
• gross investment in tangible goods
• gross investment in land
• gross investment in existing buildings and structures
• gross investment in construction and alteration of buildings
• gross investment in machinery and equipment
• number of employees
• number of persons employed per enterprise.

Statistics within the database are available for:

• Manufacture of air and spacecraft and related machinery (C303)
  See database section ‘SBS – industry and construction’
• Air transport (H51)
  See database section ‘SBS – services’

Eurostat also compiles a range of data on air transport in the EU, including statistics on infrastructure, equipment, enterprises, economic performance, employment and measurement.

Airports Council International Europe (ACI Europe)

ACI Europe provides a range of industry data

Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (US)

The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) provides general aviation information and statistics, including data on:

• FAA certificated pilots by state and certificate type
• Public- and private-use airports by state
• Active general aviation aircraft by state
• General aviation aircraft shipments and registrations
• General aviation trends
• General aviation safety record
• Current accident statistics graphs.

Oliver Wyman

Oliver Wyman's Airline Economic Analysis 2016-2017 provides economic and performance data for the US aviation industry as well as global capacity growth by region. The report includes:

• Revenue per available seat mile (RASM)
• Passenger yield
• Ancillary revenue
• Stage-length adjusted revenue per available seat
• Cost per available seat mile (CASM)
• Labor cost
• Jet fuel costs and labor costs
• Profit margin data
• Break-even load factors
• US carrier capacity analysis

ASEAN

ASEAN, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, produces an annual Statistical Yearbook which includes a chapter on transport and communication. Figures by country cover:

• number of domestic airports
• domestic passenger traffic
• domestic freight traffic
• number of aircraft traffic
• number of international airports
• international passenger traffic
• cargo loaded
• cargo unloaded
• aircraft departures
• aircraft arrivals.

Arab Air Carriers Organization

The Arab Air Carriers Organization (AACO) provides general statistics on domestic and international freight and passenger traffic.

IATA

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) compiles a comprehensive range of industry facts and figures

INDSTAT

The UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) collects and compiles industrial statistics known as INDSTAT, which give information on:

• number of employees
• number of establishments
• output
• value added
• total wages and salaries.

Statistics by country are available for:

• Aircraft and spacecraft (3530)

UN Commodity Trade Statistics Database (Comtrade)

The UN compiles and publishes international import and export statistics in the Commodity Trade Statistics Database (Comtrade), giving figures for goods traded by value, quantity and weight for each country.

Statistics are available for:

• Aircraft, spacecraft, and parts thereof (88)

UN Industrial Commodity Statistics Database

The UN provides statistics on the quantity of goods produced by country in the Industrial Commodity Statistics Database.

Figures are available for:

• Aeroplanes and other aircraft (49)

UK

The annual Business Register and Employment Survey (BRES), published by the Office for National Statistics, includes total employee and employment estimates for different industries for Great Britain and the UK. Figures are broken down to show full-time/part-time and public/private splits. The dataset Industry – Business Register and Employment Survey (BRES): Table 2 includes statistics for:

• Manufacturing of air and spacecraft and related machinery (303)
• Passenger air transport (511)
• Freight air transport and space transport (512)

The Office for National Statistics publication Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) includes average employment costs within this sector which can be found in Table 14. Average employment costs are provided for full-time employees, part-time employees and all employees.

The data includes average employment costs for:

• air traffic controllers;
• aircraft pilots and flight engineers;
• air transport operatives; and
• air travel assistants.

Other regions

Please see individual country profile pages for links to sources of national statistics.

UK

Gov.uk offers guidance and information on transport regulations and safety, including:

• air passenger or freight services in the UK: regulations for operators
• aviation security screening approved equipment list.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has a section on health and safety in air transport which includes latest regulations affecting this industry.

The Business Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) 2018 Committee report Brexit and the implications for UK business: Aerospace inquiry contains a chapter on regulatory alignment.

Law firm Faegre Drinker published an article Regulatory Implications of Brexit on the UK and EU Aerospace Industry in April 2021.

Trade Tariff

The Trade Tariff is a useful Gov.uk database listing tax, duties and licenses for the import and export of goods between the UK and other countries. The database is searchable by product or commodity code and results can be filtered by date and country. Information also includes links to relevant conditions and regulations.

See import and export information for:

• aircraft, spacecraft, and parts thereof.

The websites of trade bodies in this sector are a useful source of industry overviews, contacts and statistics.

UK

• Air Safety Group
• Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association UK (AOPA UK)
• Aircraft Research Association
• Air League
• Airlines UK
• Airport Operators Association
• British Airport Suppliers and Equipment Association (BASEA)
• British Association of Aviation Consultants
• British Business and General Aviation Association (BBGA)
• General Aviation Safety Council
• Royal Aeronautical Society
• UK Flight Safety Committee

Europe

• Airlines for Europe
• Airports Council International Europe (ACI Europe)
• European Business Aviation Association
• European Cockpit Association
• European Regions Airline Association
• Russian United Business Aviation Association

Africa

• African Airlines Association
• Commercial Aviation Association of Southern Africa

Asia

• Asian Business Aviation Association
• Association of Asia Pacific Airlines

• Associação Brasileira de Aviação Geral
• Latin American and Caribbean Air Transport Association

Middle East

• Arab Air Carriers Organization
• Middle East Business Aviation Association

North America

• Air Line Pilots Association (US and Canada)
• Airlines for America (formerly known as Air Transport Association of America)
• Canadian Business Aviation Association
• Cargo Airline Association
• National Business Aviation Association (US)

Oceania

• Association of South Pacific Airlines
• Australian Business Aircraft Association
• Regional Aviation Association of Australia

Global

• Flight Safety Foundation
• International Air Cargo Association
• International Air Transport Association
• International Association of Airline Internal Auditors
• International Business Aviation Council
• International Civil Aviation Organization
• International Council of Aircraft Owner and Pilot Associations
• International Federation of Air Line Pilots' Associations

Trade journals, B2B magazines and specialist consumer magazines are another useful source of news and statistics.

• Air Cargo World
• Airfinance Journal
• Airport Business
• Airports International
• Airport World
• Air Transport World
• Aviation Today
• Flightglobal
• Flyer
• AOPA UK Magazine
• Jane's (publisher of various guides, directories and reports on the aerospace industry)
• Journal of Commerce
• Pilot

Articles and books in the Library collection

• View a list of articles and books in our collection on the airline industry

To find out how you can borrow books from the Library please see our guide to book loans.

You can obtain copies of articles or extracts of books and reports by post or email through our document supply service.