The International Air Transport Association (IATA) is encouraging governments to work in conjunction with the airline industry to enhance consumer confidence-boosting measures in anticipation of slow recovery amid COVID-19.
“Passenger confidence will suffer a double whammy even after the pandemic is contained, hit by personal economic concerns in the face of a looming recession on top of lingering concerns about the safety of travel,” Alexandre de Juniac, IATA’s director general and CEO, said. “Governments and industry must be quick and coordinated with confidence-boosting measures. “In some economies, the spread of COVID-19 has slowed to the point where governments are planning to lift the most severe elements of social distancing restrictions. But an immediate rebound from the catastrophic fall in passenger demand appears unlikely.”
de Juniac said people still want to travel but have indicated they are seeking economic clarity and will likely wait for at least a few months after all is clear before returning to the skies.
An IATA-commissioned survey determined 60 percent of travelers anticipate a return to travel within one to two months of containment of the COVID-19 pandemic, but 40 percent noted they could wait six months or more.
Meanwhile, 69 percent of respondents revealed they could delay a return to travel until their personal financial situation stabilizes.
“The passenger business came to a halt with unilateral government actions to stop the spread of the virus,” de Juniac said. “The industry re-start, however, must be built with trust and collaboration, and it must be guided by the best science we have available. We must start building a framework for a global approach that will give people the confidence that they need to travel once again.”