Lingering Covid confusion could stop 40% of Brits flying this year – survey

The recovery of the aviation sector from the pandemic could be hampered by confusing health requirements and fears that the sector is not prepared for another public health crisis, according to an international survey.

People surveyed in the UK, Cyprus’ biggest tourism market, Italy, the Gulf states and the US, revealed widespread confusion around health requirements continues to haunt travellers making them reluctant to fly.

Many people in every country surveyed said they chose not to fly in 2021 and that lack of clarity over current requirements continues to keep them from flying in 2022.

In the UK, 65 per cent of people surveyed said they chose not to fly last year, with 40 per cent saying they will not fly in 2022 either. In Italy, 61 per cent said they didn’t fly last year and 40 per cent will not fly in 2022; in the Gulf states, 86 per cent of respondents avoided flying and 46 per cent will continue to do so, and in the US, 46 per cent of respondents said they didn’t fly and 32 per cent will not fly this year.

The survey was conducted by YouGov ahead of the Future Aviation Forum, a global aviation summit taking place in Riyadh, 9th-11th May. It was carried out in the UK, Italy, the US, and the Gulf states – Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.

While results vary from county-to-country, the study reveals widespread confusion around the patchwork of existing health requirements for air travel.

“There is a clear need for countries to work together to harmonise health requirements for passengers. For the global aviation sector to make a full and speedy recovery, it is essential that we improve clarity around current requirements and build confidence in the sector’s ability to handle future public health crises,” said Saleh bin Nasser Al-Jasser, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Transport and Logistics.

The Future Aviation Forum brings together leaders from the public and business sectors, international CEOs, and regulators to shape the evolution of international air travel.

It will feature more than 120 speakers, with over 2,000 attendees and representatives from every continent are expected to attend. The forum is focused on three core issues: passenger experience, sustainability, and business recovery post-Covid.

Abdulaziz Al-Duailej, president of Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA), said that ahead of the forum GACA is consulting stakeholders on developing a policy to future-proof the sector against future health crises.

“Covid-19 has severely impacted air traffic and passenger travel across the globe and has had a chilling impact on the growth prospects for the global aviation sector. With passenger traffic not expected to return to pre-2019 levels until 2024, we need to find ways to harmonise health information protocols, to enhance information sharing and transparency among countries, to protect the health and safety of passengers, and to restore passenger trust – these are some of the fundamental challenges we will tackle at the Future Aviation Forum,” said Al-Duailej.

Asked whether countries worked together to facilitate ease of travel during the pandemic opinions were divided. A majority of people in the Gulf states (73 per cent) and Italy (59 per cent) think they did, whilst 70 per cent of Britons and the 56 per cent of Americans believe they did not.

In terms of whether the aviation sector is prepared for another public health crisis, a majority of people in the Gulf states (64 per cent) feel confident it is, whilst respondents in the other countries surveyed are divided. More than a third of people in the UK, and a quarter of people in the US and Italy say they do not believe airports and airlines are prepared for the next public health crisis.