In keeping with his motto “Stay strong. We will get through this crisis and keep the world connected,” the International Air Transport Association (IATA) director-general Alexandre de Juniac did not want to sound too pessimistic when briefing media earlier this month on the recovery prospects of the industry. Yet, his message was gloomy. “This crisis could have a very long shadow. Passengers are telling us that it will take time before they return to their old travel habits. Many airlines are not planning for demand to return to 2019 levels until 2023 or 2024,” he warned, as he shared the results of a survey of leisure and business travelers in 11 countries, conducted in February, April, and June on behalf of IATA. Eighty-four percent of passengers—or more than 8 out of 10— surveyed in June are afraid to travel until Covid-19 is contained, up from 74 percent in February, and just 45 percent said that they will travel again in the first months after the pandemic subsides. In early April, 61 percent said that they would. About two-thirds see less travel in their future—be it for vacation, visiting friends/relatives, or business.
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