PR95589

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, Apr. 21, 2022 /PRNewswire=KYODO JBN/--

An international survey of people in the United States, the United Kingdom,

Italy, and the Gulf reveals widespread confusion around health requirements for

air travel, and fears that the aviation sector is not prepared for another

global health crisis

- Many people in every country surveyed say they chose not to fly in 2021

because of Covid-related requirements

- 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 not to fly in 2021 because of the

health-related requirements

- And in a worrying sign for the sector's recovery, it finds that a third of

Americans (32%), 40% Italians, 40% of Brits, and nearly half (46%) of people in

the Gulf say that confusion over health requirements will keep them from flying

in 2022.

The recovery of the global aviation sector from the Covid-19 pandemic could be

hampered by confusing health requirements and fears that the sector is not

prepared for another public health crisis, according to an international survey.

The survey was conducted by YouGov ahead of the Future Aviation Forum, a global

aviation summit taking place in Riyadh, 9th-11th May. It was carried out in the

United States, the United Kingdom, Italy, and the Gulf countries – Bahrain,

Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. While results

vary from county-to-country, the study reveals widespread confusion around the

patchwork of existing health requirements for air travel. Around a third of

people in every country surveyed say that the lack of clarity around health

requirements stopped them from flying last year and will keep them from flying

in 2022.

"There is a clear need for countries to work together to harmonize health

requirements for passengers. 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," said His Excellency Saleh bin Nasser Al-Jasser, Saudi

Arabia's Minister of Transport and Logistics.

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 and

representatives from every continent expected to attend. Delegates are invited

to attend 40 sessions, focusing on three core thematic pillars: passenger

experience, sustainability, and business recovery post-Covid.

His Excellency Abdulaziz Al-Duailej, president of Saudi Arabia's General

Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA), said that ahead of the Forum GACA is

consulting stakeholders on developing a policy to future-proof the sector

against future health crises.

"Covid-19 has severely impacted air traffic and passenger travel across the

globe and has had a chilling impact on the growth prospects for the global

aviation sector. With passenger traffic not expected to return to pre-2019

levels until 2024, we need to find ways to harmonize health information

protocols, to enhance information sharing and transparency among countries, to

protect the health and safety of passengers, and to restore passenger trust –

these are some of the fundamental challenges we will tackle at the Future

Aviation Forum," said His Excellency Al-Duailej.

The survey finds that opinion is divided in terms of whether countries worked

together to facilitate ease of travel during the pandemic. Majorities of people

in the Gulf (73%) and Italy (59%) think they did, whilst most people in the US

(56%) and Britain (70%) say they did not.

In terms of whether the aviation sector is prepared for another public health

crisis, only a majority of people in the Gulf (64%) are confident it is, whilst

respondents in the other surveyed countries are divided. More than a third of

people in the UK, and a quarter of people in the US and Italy say airports and

airlines are not prepared for the next public health crisis.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1802116/Yougov_Infographic.jpg

Source: GACA