Widespread confusion over health requirements is making people less likely to fly internationally, a new survey reveals.
Continual changes to health requirements for air travel, and fears that the aviation sector is not prepared for another global health crisis, are major issues, the survey of people in the US, UK, Italy and the Gulf showed.
Many people in each nation surveyed say they chose not to fly in 2021 because of Covid-related requirements.
At total of 46% of respondents in the US, 61% of people in Italy, 65% of people in the UK and 68% of people in the Gulf chose to stay at home.
And in a worrying sign for the sector's recovery, the survey found a third of Americans (32%), 40% Italians, 40% of Britons and nearly half (46%) of people in the Gulf say that confusion over health requirements will keep them from flying in 2022.
The survey was conducted by YouGov (not Australia's You Gov) ahead of the Future Aviation Forum, a global aviation summit taking place in Riyadh from May 9-11.
While results varied from county-to-country, the study revealed widespread confusion around the patchwork of existing health requirements for air travel.
"There is a clear need for countries to work together to harmonize health requirements for passengers," said Saleh bin Nasser Al-Jasser, Saudi Arabia's Minister of Transport and Logistics.
"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."
The Future Aviation Forum will bring together leaders from the public and business sectors, international CEOs, and regulators to shape the evolution of international air travel and drive forward solutions in a post-pandemic world.
It will feature more than 120 speakers, with over 2,000 attendees with a focus on passenger experience, sustainability, and business recovery post-Covid.
Image: Maksim Chernyshev, Scop.io
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