Airports Council International has released a survey showing nearly half of respondents intend to travel again within the next three months.

The findings of the Airports Council International (ACI) World ASQ Global Traveller Survey can be attributed to a strong level of confidence in the environment safety provided by airports and airlines.

The survey found that 48% of travellers 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 sanitising stations and the development of a more contactless airport experience.

The survey found an overall slight decrease in travel frequency is expected. This will have an impact on the proportion of traffic type with domestic traffic helping recovery in the short term.

Completion of the report was supported by KONE Corporation, Munich Airport International, Plaza Premium Group, and POTLOC.

ACI World Director General Luis Felipe de Oliveira said,

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.

It is reassuring that travellers 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 programme 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.

Dr. Ralf Gaffal, Managing Director at Munich Airport International said,

Covid-19 has a never-seen impact on our aviation industry – not only did it cause traffic movements to hit rock bottom, it also changed the overall behaviour and expectations of our passengers and requires the implementation of new processes and systems. As a global world-class airport operator, it is essential for us to understand all changes and requirements to quickly adapt processes, facilities and information flow. The results of this ASQ  Global Traveller Survey will provide guidance to define our strategy and actions in order to maintain the highest level of customer satisfaction.

Bora Isbulan, Chief Commercial Officer of Plaza Premium Group said,

It is a pleasure for us to support ACI World, global trade representative of world airports on their global passenger survey. It is important for the airport community to work together for the revival of travel, especially during these unprecedented times. As a leader in airport hospitality, it is fundamental for us to understand the behaviour of global passengers and how it will continue to evolve through the importance of wellbeing, digital advancements and loyalty programmes in the new age of travel.

Rodolphe Barrere Co-Founder & CEO at POTLOC said,

Covid-19 has forced the travel industry to completely rethink the status quo and the way it operates. Airports that have answers from consumers will have more chances of overcoming a post-COVID world. With this study, at Potloc we wanted to help them understand consumer perceptions facing this new reality. We were able to reach far and wide, by extracting travellers’ insights via social networks, to get a clearer picture of where we stand now, and what the future holds for airports in their eyes.

ACI claim 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, to help them implement the right measures expected by travellers, improve the most stressful touchpoints throughout the journey, and understand passengers’ needs and expectations.

“We are grateful to our sponsors in supporting this important project which will help inform airports and promote public confidence in the recovery of air travel,” Luis Felipe de Oliveira.