Commercial flights, France
Commercial flights, France stood at 121,458 Flights in Sep 2026, according to DGAC – Direction générale de l'Aviation civile (data.gouv.fr). It is one of the indicators in the Monthly air traffic table (Value · Monthly), with a complete series running from Jan 2019 to Sep 2026. The complete series with an interactive chart, free to download.
This indicator in the Monthly air traffic table
| Indicator | 09-2026 | 08-2026 | 07-2026 | 06-2026 | 05-2026 | 04-2026 | 03-2026 | 02-2026 | 01-2026 | 12-2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| France, all commercial flights2 | 121,458 | 130,617 | 134,433 | 126,994 | 119,208 | 110,323 | 101,656 | 87,649 | 90,641 | 101,591 | |
| Scheduled flights | 108,345 | 116,795 | 117,786 | 110,037 | 106,567 | 99,911 | 91,755 | 79,309 | 82,116 | 92,953 | |
| Non-scheduled flights (charter, business aviation) | 13,113 | 13,822 | 16,647 | 16,957 | 12,641 | 10,412 | 9,901 | 8,340 | 8,525 | 8,638 |
Understanding commercial flights, France
Total commercial flight movements encompass every take-off and landing performed by domestic and foreign carriers operating revenue-generating passenger, cargo, or mail services across the entire national aviation network. Unlike specialized series that isolate particular operational models or individual terminals, this aggregate counts every qualifying flight regardless of itinerary type, aircraft size, or propulsion category. Private pleasure flying, state-owned military sorties, search-and-rescue missions, and empty repositioning legs without commercial purpose remain completely excluded from the metric.
Interpreting monthly fluctuations requires accounting for sharp seasonal surges during northern hemisphere summer holidays alongside secondary peaks around winter festive periods. Early estimates frequently undergo minor administrative adjustments as late schedule reconciliations arrive from smaller regional airfields. Comparing monthly totals against the corresponding month of the prior calendar year neutralizes predictable seasonal distortion far more effectively than sequential month-on-month analysis. Analysts must verify that infrastructure alterations, air traffic control restrictions, or strike actions affecting airspace capacity are incorporated when evaluating broader trajectory shifts.
Frequently asked questions
- What exact types of aircraft movements are included in this metric?
- The series counts every commercial take-off and landing operated by airlines carrying paying passengers, cargo, or mail.
- Are private and training flights counted in total commercial flights?
- No, private leisure flights, pilot training circuits, and military operations are strictly excluded from the total.
- Why is year-on-year comparison preferred over month-on-month analysis?
- Annual comparisons absorb heavy summer and winter seasonal swings that would otherwise distort month-on-month evaluations.