Air travellers are becoming worn down by delays at airports, inefficient processes and long waiting times, a study by Airbus has found.
A two-year ‘Future by Airbus’ global study, which gathered the views of more than 1.75 million people, has revealed that air travellers’ main desires are for air travel to become less stressful and more plentiful.
Sixty-three percent of respondents said they would fly more by 2050, and 60% do not believe social media will replace the need to see people face-to-face. Almost 40% of people however, feel air travel is becoming increasingly stressful.
The Airbus study highlighted a predictable list of gripes including long queues at passport control, slow check-in and baggage collection, sitting on the tarmac and circling in holding patterns around airports.
“In London for example we’ve seen concern about queues at airports and people are understandably not happy about it,” said Charles Champion, Airbus’ Executive Vice President for Engineering. “But the reality is those capacity constraints are a sign of things to come unless the industry can work together to cut delays, and with aviation set to double in the next 15 years, that’s what we’re looking at.”
The study also revealed that passengers want a more sustainable aviation industry. An overwhelming 96% of respondents said aircraft should be more ‘eco-efficient’. Eighty-six percent think fuel burn is key, while 66% want quieter aircraft and 65% planes which are fully recyclable.
“Since we launched the Future by Airbus, we have engaged with people in 192 countries in a dialogue about the future of air travel,” Champion added. “It’s clear that people are really excited about the future of sustainable flight and we want them to be part of shaping that future.”
