CAA Provisional Statistics Update

[lysander]

This is the second time in just a few months that the airport's MD has come up with statements like these. He is obviously aiming his comments at an audience which has no knowledge of CAA statistics and his "spin "is aimed at "boosting the flagging airports profile". As it is, the City Region is backing the airport ... to the hilt and the Chairman of the LEP has been very upbeat about its prospects....especially with freight.

Much emphasis is being placed on the completion of FARRS which will not actually connect with the Airport nor, I suspect, will it allow a Sheffield traveller to access the Airport within "25" minutes....unless breaking the speed limit in the early hours of a fine morning. Time will tell!

 

[Aviador]

Spin's alright if you can get away with it. I suspect journalists will eventually see through the spin and it will back fire.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

http://www.thestar.co.uk/news/business/ ... -1-6061172

Someone's already got his measure - look at the comment from a poster at the bottom of this local newspaper report.

 

[lysander]

The Star is not exactly renowned for its investigative journalism, being happy to maintain the status quo and print uncritical press releases.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

The Star is not exactly renowned for its investigative journalism, being happy to maintain the status quo and print uncritical press releases.

The local newspaper in Wurzel Land is exactly the same. All its 'journalists' seem to be employed to slightly re-write press releases for publication from all manner of organisations.

It's invariably necessary to read posts from disinterested members of the public on the web editions of these rags to get anywhere near the truth, as is the case this time with The Star and the DSA boss's imaginative passenger figures.

 

[muddycoffee]

To nudge the thread back toward the official subject. I have been ready to make a new pax table picture this week, but unfortunately the DSA stats are missing from the UK official airport statistics again.
I wonder if this coincides with a member of staff at Doncaster having a holiday ?

 

[muddycoffee]

The data is out and my table is here...

 

[lysander]

Thanks, Muddycoffee. An analysis of DSA's freight statistics also makes for some interesting reading, especially when the facts are compared with the Airport's MD very upbeat comments about the growth of freight.

 

[muddycoffee]

Here is the latest table..

 

[lysander]

A slight increase in passenger numbers...but a low one when compared with Yorkshires premier airport...LBA which achieved an 18.2% increase. Freight in October was 10 tons.

 

[lysander]

DSA ended 2013 with a very slight decline in passenger numbers compared with 2012. Last year was the worst full year since the Airport opened and this year,with Ryanair pulling a route, seems to be showing a further decline unless some new routes/ new operator is announced.

 

[muddycoffee]

Just updated my table.

 

[muddycoffee]

the above post has been edited and a revised table added, as originally I made a mistake with one of the formulas.

 

[muddycoffee]

It appears that the stats for January are now published

 

[muddycoffee]

Latest stats are in today

 

[Aviador]

CAA Passenger Stats for February 2014

During February a total of 31,929 used the airport up 9.3% on the same month last year.

Rolling year passengers stand at 693,332 1.6%

A very pleasing sign of growth at long last with more routes in the pipeline.

 

[muddycoffee]

The PAX numbers are late out for DSA for March. Missing so far.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

The PAX numbers are late out for DSA for March. Missing so far.

The CAA provisional stats never include every airport in the first batch each month. I note that Prestwick and Blackpool aren't out yet either and no doubt there are others too.

It's the way the system operates, although I don't know why it should be like that.

 

[muddycoffee]

It's the way the system operates, although I don't know why it should be like that.

My own pet theory is that the figures rely upon a person at each Airport collecting up the month's figures and emailing or uploading them to a portal at the Civil Aviation Authority.
At smaller airports such as DSA, Prestwick and Blackpool (helpfully noticed by yourself LY) there are probably fewer staff with these admin roles. And so if they are away on Leave it might get delayed for a week.

Whereas at large airports they will probably have a department to deal with statistics and several people with the relevant passwords and links.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

I agree that the CAA is probably dependent on the efficiency of the reporting airports to get the information into them as quickly as possible, although I remember that LBA, for example, went through a spell when it rarely featured in the first batch of 'results' each month.