People are even less willing to fly now than they were at the height of coronavirus lockdowns

tborden@businessinsider.com (Taylor Borden)
·1 min read
coronavirus travel airport
While 60% of people were optimistic about flying in April, only 45% were still optimistic in early June, according to IATA.

Lillian Suwanrumpha/Getty Images

  • In a Tuesday press briefing, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) said travelers are getting more cautious based on recurring surveys the group conducts, Bloomberg News reported.

  • Per the group, 45% of people polled in late May and early June said they would be prepared to board a plane within a month or two of lifted lockdowns.

  • The new survey data serves as a stark contrast to the data collected by IATA at the height of the coronavirus lockdowns in April. Then, 60% of those polled said they would be prepared to board a plane within a month or two of lifted lockdowns.

  • "We have a majority saying now that they would wait more than six months before traveling," Brian Pearce, IATA's chief economist, said in the briefing.

  • The data reaffirming travelers' diminished confidence comes as the airline industry continues to nosedive: Bankruptcies, layoffs, and zero demand have led airline analysts and executives to predict it could take up to five years for the industry to recover from the pandemic.

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