Statistics

The resources below are for anyone needing sources that are primarily statistical in nature with a particular focus on historical data. Much of the data the Department of Transportation and Federal Aviation Administration collects currently is available via government agency websites. The following materials link to fuller bibliographic information in the Library of Congress Online Catalog. Links to digital content are provided when available.

Aerospace Facts and Figures by Aerospace Industries Association of America
Call Number: TL501 .A818
Published/Created: 1945-2009
Holdings: 1945-2009
This title covers civilian and military data. There is production data for aircraft, engines, and parts, trade and employment data as well as figures for airlines and finance. Continues Aviation Facts and Figures and a Merger of Aerospace Economic Report and Outlook and Aerospace Industry Report.
Air Carrier Financial Statistics by Accounting, Cost and Statistics Division, Bureau of Accounts and Statistics, Civil Aeronautics Board
Call Number: HE9803.A1 A35
Holdings: 1976-1979
Available online from the Hathi Trust External
This title offers fairly detailed airline information for U.S. national and regional airlines as well as international airlines. An edition from 1981 which was using new grouping was at HE9803.A1.A234. See also Quarterly Report of Air Carrier Financial Statistics. Now online from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics.
Air Carrier Traffic Statistics by Civil Aeronautics Board
Call Number: TL521 .A243
Issues from the 1950s-1984 available online from the Hathi Trust External
Issues beginning in 1980 available online from the Hathi Trust External
Holdings 1955-1984
Data on international and domestic major, national, large regional, and medium regionals carriers. Carriers broken down into by traffic carrier (scheduled service, non-scheduled service) by flight type. Data includes: revenue, seats available, miles, performance factors, cargo and military freight, etc.
Air Commerce Bulletin
Call Number: TL521 .A365
Holdings: 1929-1939
Available online from the Hathi Trust External
This title offers both written analysis and charts, and information is fairly detailed with regards to routes. Previously known as Domestic Air News and continued by Civil Aeronautics Journal.
Airline Station Analyses
Call Number: TL501 .A56417
Holdings: 1947-1956
This set has good coverage for data for passenger, ticket sales, flights, scheduled flights, station employees, etc. by station (place).
Airport Activity Statistics of Certificated Air Carriers by Office of Carrier Accounts and Statistics, Civil Aeronautics Board
Call Number: TL521 .A2415
Holdings: 1959-1999
Available online from the Hathi Trust External
Tables are for domestic carriers but international, overseas, and territorial data is reported. The statistics in the print volumes before 1997 were quite detailed while the 1997-99 print titles were summary statistics. Absorbed Air Commerce Traffic Patterns.
Annual Airline Statistics by Civil Aeronautics Board
Call Number: TL521 .A242
Holdings: 1949-1976
Continued by Handbook of Airline Statistics. A supplement with data from 1976 available online from the Hathi Trust External
Aviation & Aerospace Almanac
Call Number: HE9803.A1 A9
Holdings: 1993-2003
Sections include domestic aviation, international aviation, regional aviation, general aviation, airports, information about the Department of Transportation, information about the FAA, safety, as well as chapters for the military.
Aviation Forecasts, Fiscal Years ... by Dept. of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration, Office of Policy Development, Economics Division
Call Number: HE9803.A1 O36a
Holdings: 1968-2015
Available online from the Hathi Trust External
Ceased with issue for: 1977-1988 but continued by FAA aviation forecasts
Volume has a year in review and forecasts for upcoming years followed by sections on: economic environment; commercial air carriers (looking at international as well); regional commuters; general aviation; helicopters; and related data.
CAA Statistical Handbook of Civil Aviation by U.S. Department of Commerce, Civil Aeronautics Administration
Call Number: TL521 .A416
Holdings: 1944-1959
Continues Statistical Handbook of Civil Aviation and is continued by FAA Statistical Handbook of Aviation. Most of this title consists of charts looking at: airports, federal airways, aircraft/airman certifications, general aviation flying, aeronautical production and exports, etc.
Census of U. S. Civil Aircraft by United States. Federal Aviation Agency. Office of Management Services.
Call Number: HE9803.A1 A27
Holdings: 1964-1992
Statistics on: registered civil aircraft, U.S. air carrier aircraft, US. general aircraft.
Civil Aeronautics Journal
Call Number: TL521 .A3652
Holdings: 1940-1952
Continued by CAA Journal using this same call number. Includes news and data on aircraft and parts productions, pilots, mail/transport, airports, and domestic carrier operations.
Commuter Air Carrier Traffic Statistics by United States. Civil Aeronautics Board. Bureau of Operating Rights. Standards Division.
Call Number: HE9803.A1 U54b
Holdings: 1993-1984
Available online from the Hathi Trust External
See the related title Available online from the Hathi Trust External
Current Industrial Reports. M37G, Complete aircraft and aircraft engines by U.S Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, Federal Aviation Agency
Call Number: HD9711.U58 C87
Holdings: 1981-1990 incomplete
Available online from the Hathi Trust External
Published monthly, this publication reported on the number of shipments and value of completed civilian aircraft, as well as aircraft parts, engines, and engine parts. It continued publication under the Bureau of the Census and absorbed Current Industrial Reports. MA37D, Aerospace industry orders, sales, and backlog and was published until 2010 as MA336G: Civil Aircraft and Aircraft Engines, and Aerospace Industry (Orders, Sales, and Backlog).
Current Industrial Reports. MQ-37D, Backlog of orders for aerospace companies by U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census
Call Number: HD9711.5.U58 B3
Holdings: 1979-1986
Available online from the Hathi Trust External
This is a quarterly statistical publication. Becomes Current industrial reports. MA37D, Aerospace industry orders, sales, and backlog and Current industrial reports. M37G, Civil aircraft and aircraft engines.
FAA Aerospace Forecasts by U.S. Dept. of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration, Office of Aviation Policy and Plans
Call Number: HE9803.A1 O36a
Holdings: 1968-2004/05
This title is primarily analysis and forecasting. It covers the industry as a whole.
FAA Statistical Handbook of Aviation by Federal Aviation Agency
Call Number: TL521 .A41612
Holdings: 1960-1993
Available online from the Hathi Trust External
Continues CAA Statistical Handbook of Civil Aviation. Most of this title consists of charts looking at: airports, federal airways, aircraft/airman certifications, general aviation flying, aeronautical production & exports, scheduled air carrier operations, and accidents. This title ceased print publication and moved online.
Handbook of Airline Statistics by U.S. Civil Aeronautics Board, Office of Carrier Accounts and Statistics
Call Number: TL521 .A242
Holdings: 1943-1975
Data from 1949-1956 is available online from the Hathi Trust External
Includes current and historical statistics on airline revenues, routes, passengers, etc. Covers larger national companies (their U.S. and international routes) and the regional airlines. This title was previously known as Annual Airline Statistics.
International origin-destination survey of passenger journeys via U.S. domestic/foreign-flag airlines by Airline Finance and Accounting Conference
Call Number: HE9803.A1 C57b
Holdings: 1962-1966
This publication is organized by place. Table 1 is the largest and it is by city pairs.
Quarterly Report of Air Carrier Financial Statistics by Office of Carrier Accounts and Statistics, Civil Aeronautics Board
Call Number: TL521.A245
Holdings:1953-1980
Information included is by carrier in the Income and Balance sheet statement sections but is just aggregated for the Earnings Position and Average Investment section. Previously known as Air Carrier Financial Statistics.
Statistiques de Trafic. Résultats généraux / Western European Airports Association [and] International Civil Airports Association by Édition aéroport de Paris
Call Number: HE9778 .W46c
Holdings: 1978-1988
Statistics for airports and air traffic for western Europe.
Statistiques de Trafic / Grands aéroports de l'ouest de l'Europe by Aéroport de Paris, Département des relations internationales, Section études statistiques
Call Number: HE9778 .W46a
Holdings: 1971-1977 incomplete
Statistics for airports and air traffic for western Europe.
U.S. International Air Travel Statistics by U.S. Dept. of Transportation, Transportation Systems Center
Call Number: HE9803.A1 T73a
Holdings: 1975-1991
Charts cover U.S. passenger travel between the the U.S. and foreign countries for arrivals and departures for scheduled and chartered flights. Data is broken down by citizen and "alien."
United States Civil Aircraft Register. by Federal Aviation Agency, Flight Standards Service, Control Systems Division
Call Number: HE9769.U5 A3
Holdings: 1963-1978
Available online from the Hathi Trust External
This was not an official record of ownership (the FAA did not issue certificates of ownership) but the FAA does have records of ownership and they still do today. It is a "statistical abstraction of aircraft records" but does include aircraft owner, date of inspection, aircraft and engine information, etc.

Internet Resources

Included here are some of the largest repositories of statistical data. Additional data can also be found within the websites found on the Regulatory Agencies & Industry Associations page.

Aviation Forecasts (FAA)
The FAA has developed a set of assumptions and forecasts consistent with the emerging trends and structural changes taking place within the aviation industry to more accurately predict future demand.
Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)
This is part of a guide on sources for pay and benefits data that is specifically looking at the data produced by the Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Cirium External
This is a company that is a source for source of aviation analytics. Particularly for on-time performance and flight schedules.
Data & Research (FAA)
Accident & Incident Reports (Preliminary and Data)
Aviation Data & Statistics (Airline On-Time Statistics & Delay Causes, Airport Operations and Ranking, Operational Metrics)
Commercial Space Data (Upcoming & Recent Launch Data)
Forecasts (FAA Aerospace Forecasts)
Passengers & Cargo (Unruly Passengers Statistics, Passenger Boarding and All-Cargo Data)
Safety (Aviation Safety Information Analysis and Sharing, National Wildlife Aircraft Strike Database)
Funding & Grant Data
Federal Aviation Authority (FAA)
Regulatory and data for airlines, air safety, airports, pilots, and drones. Under Aircraft Certification, Design Approvals are the Research Reports.
Flight information (FAA)
Statistics and data related to flights and flight status.
International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) External
ICAO is funded and directed by 193 national governments and is a specialized agency of the UN created to support their diplomacy and cooperation in air transport as signatory states to the Chicago Convention (1944). The goal is to research new air transport policy and standardization innovations as directed and endorsed by governments through the ICAO Assembly, or by the ICAO Council which the assembly elects. The Air Navigation Bureau covers Accident Investigation, Aerodromes, Air Traffic Management, Aviation Medicine, Dangerous Goods, Integrated Infrastructure Management, and Operational Safety while the Air Transport Bureau covers aviation security.
Site includes publications and data in Information Resources on aircraft noise, air quality, climate change, etc.
TranStats (BTS)
TranStats is part of the Department of Transportation's Bureau of Transportation Statistics and it is the agency's prime source for all the transportation statistics gathered by the Department. Often still uses the names from when titles were in print, e,g. Air Carrier Financial Statistics.

Airlines and Commercial Aviation Research Guide

Statistics

Internet Resources