AR
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With countries across the world easing their travel restrictions, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has released data showing increasing momentum in the recovery of air travel.
According to the IATA report, there has been a sharp 11-percentage point increase for international tickets sold in recent weeks in comparison with 2019 sales.
During the period around February 8, (7-day moving average) the number of tickets sold was recorded at 49% of the same period in 2019.
Later, in the period around January 25 (7-day moving average) the number of tickets sold stood at 38% of the same period in 2019.
The report noted that the 11-percentage point improvement between the period of January and February has been the fastest such increase for any two-week period since the onset of the pandemic crisis.
This rise in ticket sales is owing to more world government relaxing their travel restrictions.
The IATA also conducted a survey of travel restrictions for the world’s top 50 air travel markets, displaying increasing access for vaccinated travellers. The survey comprised 92% of global demand in 2019 as measured by revenue passenger kilometers.
Out of the 50 markets, 18 (consisting of about 20 percent of 2019 demand) are allowing vaccinated travellers without quarantine or pre-departure testing requirements.
Furthermore, 28 markets are open to vaccinated travellers without quarantine requirements. It comprises about 50 percent of 2019 demand, including the 18 markets noted above.
In addition, 37 markets, consisting of about 60% of 2019 demand, are welcoming vaccinated travellers under varying conditions.
The numbers are in line with various relaxations announced by countries across the world, including Australia, France, the Philippines, the UK, Switzerland, and Sweden.
Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General, said that the momentum towards normalising traffic is growing with vaccinated passengers having ease of travelling with fewer hassles. Global travellers are becoming more confident to buy tickets, resulting in an increase in travel.
"While recent progress is impressive, the world remains far from 2019 levels of connectivity. Thirteen of the top 50 travel markets still do not provide easy access to all vaccinated travellers. That includes major economies like China, Japan, Russia, Indonesia, and Italy," Walsh added.
IATA further renewed its call on world governments to remove all travel barriers (including quarantine and testing) for people fully vaccinated with a WHO-approved vaccine. The Association has urged governments to enable quarantine-free travel for non-vaccinated travellers with a negative pre-departure antigen test result. Removing travel bans will booster travellers' confidence.
"It is time for their removal of travel curbs as we learn to live and travel in a world that will have risks of COVID-19 for the foreseeable future. This means putting a stop to the singling out of the travelling population for special measures. In nearly all cases, travellers don’t bring any more risk to a market that is already there. Many governments have recognized this already and removed restrictions. Many more need to follow," Walsh added.
SOURCE: WAM