Open Data for Air Transport Research: Dream or Reality?

The role of open data in air transport research is analyzed by means of a sample of over 300 research articles. The most used (or available) data types, their sources and their access policies are identified, both for the US and the EU. The analyses show that 70% of research in air transport is heavily reliant on data, that 70% of the data sources are curated by governmental bodies and that the US publicizes a wider set of sources, leading to wider usage. Areas for improving accessibility of (mainly European) data sources are outlined and alternative avenues to obtain data are sketched. The fact that Europe is lagging considerably in making its sources readily available to the research community means Europe missing out on entrepreneurship, innovation and scientific discovery, the presumed benefits of open data.