How can travellers be convinced that they are not running any risks by taking another seat on board an aircraft? This is the question that is probably on the minds of every airlines since the beginning of the health crisis, with more or less effective responses, both on the ground and in the air. The study unveiled on Tuesday by Inmarsat aims to provide new answers. The telecommunications specialist - which equips many carriers for in-flight wifi - has surveyed more than 9,500 passengers in 12 countries worldwide last October. In Europe, the British, German, Spanish, Finnish and Hungarian markets were covered. The result is a solid study (156 pages), giving a fairly detailed overview of the new relationship that these passengers now have with air travel, their expectations, their fears, and therefore the means of reviving more substantial passenger traffic.
Because - who doubted it? - to take concrete steps on the part of the airlines to "show their credentials" and stand out from the crowd in a sector that is all the tighter because it is now affected. In fact, two-thirds of the travellers questioned (66%) have simply not taken a single flight since the outbreak of the pandemic. And some of the changes could well become permanent, as a very large majority of passengers (83%) expect a changes in their habits even after the pandemic has passedAnd almost a third of those surveyed (31%) believe they will fly less. According to Inmarsat, 65 % of passengers plan to fly again next year, and 47 % expect to be back in the air within the next six months. In addition, the population of business travel would be the most likely to change their air travel habits (90%), with four out of ten business travellers planning to reduce their flights.
To reassure travellers, airlines will have to work hard, although of course certain parameters are beyond their control. For example, 11% of travellers surveyed by Inmarsat will not fly as long as a vaccine will not be available, or that the virus will not have disappeared. Furthermore, the fear of falling ill is not the only barrier to air travel: the fear of Covid-19 is well in the lead (61 %), but it is closely followed by the fear of getting sick. disadvantages of quarantine (60 %).
As for the levers to be used by airlines to improve the passenger experience and thus contribute to an upturn in traffic, Inmarsat is focusing particularly on the digital aspect. As the link between aeronautical and technological issues, the sponsor of the study logically advocates speeding up developments already underway. With this in mind, two major trends emerge from the Inmarsat study. " The technology that boosts passenger confidence seems to fall into two categories: that which empowers passengers by providing them with information and that which minimises contact between passengers and crew or other passengers. "says the study's authors. In fact, eight out of ten passengers (79 %) would be more confident if they received alerts and real-time information about the situation at their destination. What's more, 83 % of passengers would like to have more "real-time" information. contactless payments on board the aircraft. " With safety and reputation becoming even more important to today's travellers, it's clear that airlines need to differentiate themselves to encourage passengers to fly again. "Inmarsat CEO Rupert Pearce believes that digitisation is essential to ease passenger anxiety. " Digitalisation is at the heart of both, minimising critical touch points in the passenger journey to improve their confidence, while allowing them to stay connected and entertained. ".
