Travelers plan to continue the robust recovery in air travel, with more than three-quarters of survey respondents saying they planned to travel in 2021-2022, and 86 percent of respondents planning travel for the coming year, according to the ASQ Global Traveler Survey conducted for Airports Council International (ACI) World. Travel intent is at its highest level since the beginning of the pandemic.
The removal or loosening of many barriers and crisis measures clearly contributed to the strong intentions ACI World said, and it noted that travelers’ level of confidence that airports and airlines provide a safe environment for passengers has also increased to 81 percent, up from 74 percent a year ago.
ACI-World also found 71 percent of respondents still expect airports to provide measures that keep them feeling safe, though the top measure expected has shifted from masks to enhanced cleanliness.
“It’s clear from the ASQ 2022 Global Traveler Survey that passengers have a high intention to travel and have confidence in the industry to provide a safe environment,” said ACI World Director General Luis Felipe de Oliveira. “While COVID-19 variants remain a concern for travelers, this year’s report provides new insights to understand current passenger expectations, refine their airport journey, and ensure that their needs are met.”
De Oliveira added airports should continue to place emphasis on their enhanced cleaning, especially as other measures and actions are less tangible.” We encourage all airports to leverage the new Public Health & Safety Readiness Accreditation program to better align their public health and safety measures with ACI guidance, industry best practices, and recommendations from the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Council’s Aviation Recovery Taskforce (CART),” he said.
