INTERNATIONAL. Airports Council International (ACI) World has released a new ASQ Global Traveller Survey, which found that 48% of respondents considered themselves likely to travel within the next three months.
The recovery, ACI noted, will depend on meeting traveller expectations of airport and airline environments. These include mandatory mask-wearing for passengers and staff, COVID-19 testing prior to the trip, hand sanitising stations, and the development of a more contactless airport experience, said the survey.
In the longer term, the survey found that a slight decrease in overall travel frequency is expected, with business travel expected to fall (though not by much, the survey said) and with more people travelling for personal reasons.
This will have an impact on the proportion of traffic type, said ACI, with domestic traffic helping recovery in the short term.
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-recognised standards but also a way to communicate to passengers about these measures.”
The report’s compilation was supported by Munich Airport International, Plaza Premium Group, engineering and service group KONE Corporation, and consumer research company POTLOC.
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.”
Plaza Premium Group Chief Commercial Officer Bora Isbulan said: “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.”
Dr. Sascha Brozek, Senior Vice President, Major Projects at 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.”
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.”
