Aviation Satellite Account

There is an acute shortage of information on the increasingly important role of aviation in

national economies worldwide. The need for reliable data using standardized concepts, definitions and

methodologies to measure the economic impact of aviation is increasingly needed by governments, policy

makers and industry. Recognizing this need, ICAO has initiated a strategic project called the Aviation

Satellite Account (ASA).

Aviation Satellite Account - Draft Methodological Framework

The Aviation Satellite Account (ASA) is expected to be a standard framework for the

economic measurement of aviation activity. It will adopt the basic system of concepts, classifications,

definitions, tables and aggregates of the System of National Accounts 2008 (SNA 2008). It will also take

into account the methodologies and practices adopted by Member States that have a well-developed

transport satellite account embedded in their system of national accounts (SNA). The ASA is expected to

allow for the harmonization and reconciliation of aviation statistics from a National Accounts perspective.

The ASA methodological framework will establish the boundary of all activities related

to the use of aircraft and of related infrastructure such as airports for the movement of passengers and

goods that form part of the national system of aviation statistics. The ASA will be adopting the

well-established structure of Input-Output (I-O) accounts to measure the impact of aviation’s activities in

a country’s economy. The fundamental structure of the ASA will thus rely on the balance existing within

an economy between the demand for goods and services generated by consumers of aviation activity and

relating it to the supply of such goods and services within the economy.

The ASA will provide each State an articulated framework adopting which they can

measure the following:

ICAO’s work on ASA has been driven by the recognition that a satellite account

methodology for aviation will serve to:

Increase and improve existing understanding of aviation’s importance relative to overall economic activity in a State.
Enable States to highlight important inter-dependencies of the civil aviation sector with other sectors to sustain expected growth of economic activities such as tourism (and trades) as an export industry to the national economy.
Provide an effective instrument to States for designing and implementing policies to facilitate connectivity as well as investments into aviation, thus promoting the full economic and job creation potential offered by this activity.
Create outreach and awareness among various players involved with aviation of the direct economic importance of this activity and also its role as an economic contributor in all the industries involved in the production of goods and services demanded by aviation.

The ASA is a strategic project for States. ICAO will play a central role with regard to the

international harmonization and comparability of economic data related to aviation activities. ICAO fully

recognizes that the development of an ASA requires a sound knowledge base consisting of those with the

expertise in understanding the macro-economic nature of the work and those who understand the

requirements of the aviation businesses. ICAO therefore will be working closely with its Member States

National Accounting offices, Transport Ministries of the States, the United Nations Statistics Division and

International Agencies through the formation of a global technical expert group. The work of the global

expert group will be submitted to the United Nations Statistical Commission initially as a draft and after

incorporation of their recommendations for its adoption. ICAO will also conduct seminars, publish

technical documents and organize assistance programs to help Member States apply the recommendations

of the United Nations Statistical Commission aiming for the recommendations being adopted as a

standard to be used by the Governments in devising their national system of aviation statistics and the

ASA.