US travelers confident to return to skies, business travel poised for fall comeback, according to Cirium survey
Americans are confident to fly again, with 78% of passengers intending to travel for leisure, according to results from a new survey from aviation analytics company Cirium.
Of those who travel for business, 67% indicate their employer will permit travel in the next three to six months. Some 40% of respondents, who intend to return to the skies, plan to fly this summer. However, only a small minority have plans to travel by air for major holidays such as the July 4th weekend (16%) and Labor Day weekend (17%).
The firm interviewed 2,140 adults across the US between 11th and 17th May 2021 in a nationally representative sample. A strong majority of US travelers (90%) intend to fly at some point in the future, and 64% are planning to fly within the next 12 months.
More than three-quarters (78%) of those with plans to travel this year are only planning for domestic trips. Only 22% expect to fly internationally in 2021. The survey also reveals that over one-quarter of respondents reported having taken a flight since the pandemic. Some 60% of respondents indicated that the pandemic would have no impact on their long-term travel plans.
“Cirium’s traveler survey identifies the confidence of the US in flying gain, with a majority taking to the skies domestically already – mainly to visit family. The results indicate that the challenges facing US airlines is not lack of travel demand, but on the health and safety measures in place at the airport and in flight,” said Jeremy Bowen, CEO at Cirium.
Respondents strongly support the adoption of health passports for future air travel, with 59% supporting a requirement to carry mandatory passes to fly – though 20% disagree with the idea. When asked what airline measures would increase their motivation to fly, the majority of participants identified mandatory mask-wearing (61%) and improved cleaning processes (61%) as the top two measures.
The majority of respondents (78%) identify leisure travel as the main purpose for travel, however, the survey reveals optimism for business travel returning this fall.
Click here to see the full US Cirium Traveler Intelligence Report.
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