Avinor in 2025: Solid traffic year with strong international growth

Commercial aircraft movements (take-offs and landings) increased by 7 per cent in December compared with December 2024, and by 2 per cent in 2025 compared with 2024.

Interest in Norway as a winter destination is clearly on the rise, and both airlines and international tour operators have truly discovered Norway’s winter products. At the same time, there are good indications that Norwegians also travelled extensively in December.

“We are seeing a marked increase in international traffic in December, confirming that interest in Norway as a winter destination is stronger than ever. It is very encouraging that both travellers and international stakeholders are discovering the unique winter experiences our country has to offer,” says Gaute Skallerud Riise, VP Traffic Development at Avinor.

Northern Norway driving much of the growth

Airports in Northern Norway recorded particularly strong figures in December:

• Tromsø Airport saw total passenger growth of 13 per cent, including a remarkable 21 per cent increase in international passengers. This made Tromsø Airport the country’s third-largest airport in December, surpassed only by Oslo and Bergen airports.
• Bodø Airport recorded growth of 10 per cent.
• Evenes Airport grew by 12 per cent.

“Airports in Northern Norway have delivered an exceptionally strong year. Tromsø is now establishing itself as one of our largest and most dynamic airports during the winter season, and the growth in Bodø and Evenes demonstrates the region’s strong position at a time of intense competition for international attention,” Riise says.

Over 53 million passengers in 2025

“In 2025, we launched 22 completely new routes and welcomed two new airlines to the Norwegian market. This demonstrates Norway’s strong international position, with several attractive destinations. At the same time, we see that international traffic at Oslo Airport is growing significantly more slowly than at other Scandinavian hub airports. This highlights the need to strengthen Norway’s competitiveness and accessibility going forward.”

Increase in drone operations

In December, a total of 1,354 drone operations were recorded, representing an increase of 28 per cent compared with December the previous year, says Nikola Tufekcic, Head of Unmanned Aviation at Avinor.

Throughout 2025, there were 31,632 drone flights in total, an increase of 30 per cent compared with 2024.

“We are pleased to see that more and more people are choosing to fly drones legally,” Tufekcic concludes.

Passenger numbers still below 2019 levels

Total passenger traffic across Avinor’s airports in 2025 is estimated at approximately 53 million passengers, an increase of 3 per cent compared with 2024. However, passenger numbers have not yet returned to 2019 levels, when 54 million passengers travelled through Avinor’s airports.

For more figures and statistics, visit avinor.no.