Airports Council International (ACI) World has today published its ASQ Global Traveller Survey which reveals half of those surveyed want to travel again soon which can be attributed to a strong level of confidence in the environment safety provided by airports and airlines.

The survey found that 48% of travelers considered themselves likely to travel within the next three months but, despite this eagerness to travel, the recovery is dependent on a multitude of factors.

Passengers expect that new measures are put in place to address health risks, including mandatory masks for passengers and staff, COVID-19 testing prior to the trip, hand sanitizing stations, and the development of a more contactless airport experience.

In the long run, the survey found an overall slight decrease in travel frequency is expected and a shift in the main reason to travel with slightly less business travellers, and more people traveling for personal reasons. This will have an impact on the proportion of traffic type with domestic traffic helping recovery in the short term.

“One of the keys to recovery will be the aviation industry’s understanding of the changing needs of passengers and ACI’s new survey provides insight into how COVID-19 is affecting passenger expectations and future travel plans,” ACI World Director General Luis Felipe de Oliveira said. “It is reassuring that travelers are eager to travel again and our survey will help airports make the right decisions in providing the best and safest customer experience. Airports, airlines and their partners need to continue to increase the level of confidence in the entire passenger journey and provide and communicate the measures they are introducing to keep passenger healthy and safe. ACI’s Airport Health Accreditation program provides airports with not only a tool to assess their health measures against globally-recognized standards but also a way to communicate to passengers about these measures.”

Dr. Sascha Brozek, Senior Vice President, Major Projects, KONE Corporation said: “As air travel and the industry navigates changes in order to gradually return, there’s no doubt the way passengers move through airports has been changed permanently. In this respect, safe and efficient people flow management is vital. At KONE, we believe that technology and smart solutions will help us reconfigure environments like airport terminals, keeping safety and health as a top priority.”

The ASQ Global Traveller Survey has been created to help airports plan for future demand – in the short, medium and long term – and to adapt customer experience accordingly. This will help them implement the right measures expected by travelers, improve the most stressful touchpoints throughout the journey, and understand passengers’ needs and expectations.