Growth in international travel continues

Nearly five million passengers travelled through Avinor’s airports in August. Strong growth in international travel offset a decline in domestic traffic, leaving overall passenger numbers only marginally below the level recorded in the same month last year.

A total of 4,955,162 passengers travelled through Avinor’s airports in August 2026. This represents a decrease of 0.2 per cent compared with August last year. Domestic passenger traffic declined by 2.1 per cent to 2.52 million passengers, while international passenger traffic increased by 1.8 per cent to 2.39 million passengers. Offshore travellers also saw a slight increase of 0.4 per cent.

So far this year, 35.9 million passengers have travelled through Avinor’s airports. This is an increase of 1.7 per cent compared with the first eight months of 2025. Growth continues to be driven by international travellers visiting Norway, which has increased by nearly 3 per cent year-to-date. Domestic traffic has also grown by 0.7 per cent over the same period. – This reflects a resilient market and a continued strong appetite for travel, says Eirik Wæraas, Director of Traffic Development at Avinor.

Bergen and Tromsø leading the way One of the most notable trends in August is the continued strong international performance at several major regional airports. At Bergen Airport, Flesland, total passenger numbers increased by 4.3 per cent compared with August last year, while international travellers rose by as much as 13.4 per cent.

Tromsø Airport also recorded a strong month, with total passenger growth of 3 per cent and an increase in international passengers of more than 21 per cent. Harstad/Narvik Airport, Evenes likewise delivered solid growth, with 8.4 per cent more passengers than in August last year.

At the same time, the figures show that several traditionally large domestic markets continue to experience weaker demand. Passenger numbers at Oslo Airport declined by 1.6 per cent in August, while Trondheim Airport, Værnes and Stavanger Airport, Sola both recorded declines of 0.4 per cent. The downturn at the largest domestic hubs contributed to pulling down the national figures.

Significant regional differences Traffic developments varied considerably between airports. Several small and medium-sized airports recorded strong growth. Florø Airport increased by 14.4 per cent, while Brønnøysund Airport grew by 4.5 per cent and Leknes Airport by 4.4 per cent.

At the same time, several airports in Southern and Northern Norway experienced significant declines. The largest decreases were recorded at Molde Airport, Årø (-11.3 per cent), Hammerfest Airport (-10.4 per cent) and Kristiansund Airport, Kvernberget (-9.4 per cent).

The number of flight movements was 55,918 in August, a decline of 0.3 per cent compared with the same month last year. So far this year, 420,163 flight movements have been recorded at Avinor’s airports, representing growth of 0.3 per cent.

– August confirms the pattern we have seen throughout much of the year. International traffic continues to drive growth, while the domestic market is developing at a more moderate pace. At the same time, work continues to strengthen Oslo Airport’s role as the national hub and to ensure strong route offerings to and from Norway, says Wæraas.

Facts August 2026 Total passengers: 4,955,162 (-0.2%) Domestic travellers: 2,519,554 (-2.1%) International travellers: 2,392,108 (+1.8%) Offshore: 43,500 (+0.4%) Year-to-date passengers: 35,946,256 (+1.7%) Flight movements in August: 55,918 (-0.3%) Year-to-date flight movements: 420,163 (+0.3%)

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

More information: Access the news on Oslo Bors NewsWeb site