FOI reference: FOI-2024-2339
You asked
Could you kindly provide the sub-indices for domestic (collected one month in advance), European (collected one month and three months in advance) and long-haul (collected one month, three months and six months in advance) air fares, to the latest available data (September 2024)?
We said
Thank you for your request.
The most recently-published figures for air fares are for July 2024, alongside the previous months’ figures. We now plan to publish updated figures in March each year, starting from March 2025.
The remaining information requested is therefore exempt under Section 22(1) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, whereby information is exempt from release if there is a view to publish the information in the future. As a central government department and producer of official statistics, we need to have the freedom to be able to determine our own publication timetables. This is to allow us to deal with the necessary preparation, administration and context of publications. It would be unreasonable to consider disclosure when to do so would undermine our functions.
This exemption is subject to a public interest test. We recognise the desirability of information being freely available and this is considered by ONS when publication schedules are set in accordance with the Code of Practice for Statistics. The need for timely data must be balanced against the practicalities of applying statistical skill and judgement to produce the high quality, assured data needed to inform decision-making. If this balance is incorrectly applied, then we run the risk of decisions being based on inaccurate data which is arguably not in the public interest. This will have an impact on public trust in official statistics in a time when accuracy of official statistics is more important to the public than ever before.