Avinor in 2025: Solid traffic year with strong international growth

12 Jan 2026 14:15 CET

Passenger figures for December show a significant increase across Avinor’s
airports, driven in particular by strong growth in international travel. In
December, passenger numbers were up 3.8 per cent compared with the same month
the previous year. International traffic increased by 5.2 per cent, while
domestic traffic grew by 2.6 per cent.

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 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, Director of 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 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.

Link to statistics:
https://om.avinor.no/en/about-us/traffic-statistics/

More information:
Access the news on Oslo Bors NewsWeb site