Crawley-based airline academy's survey reveals one in five adults plan to fly abroad this summer

More than half of adults in Britain have booked or are considering booking a holiday abroad after the international travel restrictions are eased on May 17, with one in five planning to travel within the next three months, according to a survey sponsored by the L3Harris Airline Academy.
More than half of adults in Britain have booked or are considering booking a holiday abroad after the international travel restrictions are eased on May 17. Picture by Steve RobardsMore than half of adults in Britain have booked or are considering booking a holiday abroad after the international travel restrictions are eased on May 17. Picture by Steve Robards
More than half of adults in Britain have booked or are considering booking a holiday abroad after the international travel restrictions are eased on May 17. Picture by Steve Robards

One Poll conducted the survey of 2,000 UK residents on behalf of the Academy to gauge how people feel about air travel and the impact this will have on pilot demand.

“It is encouraging to see that people across the UK have booked, or are considering booking to fly, within the coming months,” said Robin Glover-Faure, vice president sales and marketing, commercial aviation solutions, L3Harris.

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“This has been a difficult year for all, but there is light at the end of the tunnel for the aviation industry.

"We will be working with airlines to deliver the training needs for new and existing pilots supporting the industry’s recovery.”

As announced on Friday, the international travel restrictions, in place since January 2021, are set to be eased from May 17 in the UK.

These will then be reviewed by the government every three weeks, as part of a wider roadmap to reopening.

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The survey found that out of those who have booked a holiday abroad, or are considering booking one, 20 per cent plan to fly within the next three months as soon as restrictions ease, 40 per cent will travel abroad in four to six months’ time for an autumn break, and another 24 per cent will travel within 12 months.

Short-haul flights are the most popular options, with 56 per cent opting to keep flights short, especially those between 55-64 years of age (55 per cent), rather than choosing long-haul flights (23 per cent).

Of those who have booked, or are considering a holiday abroad, more than half (53 per cent) are going or planning to go abroad with their partner or spouse, followed by family (40 per cent), friends (23 per cent) and alone (14 per cent).

Of those who have already booked a trip abroad, 35 per cent say their airline’s Covid-19 travel policy and security steps make them feel 'much more confident' to travel, 47 per cent feel 'somewhat more confident'', and 17 per cent say it has 'little impact' on how they feel about flying.

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The survey also revealed that Spain is the number-one destination people have booked to fly to, or are considering travelling to, once Covid restrictions ease (19 per cent), followed by America (nine per cent), Greece (seven per cent) and Italy (seven per cent).

Sixty-one per cent chose an appealing holiday destination, 33 per cent to visit family and friends, 24 per cent because they just could not wait to get away, especially those aged 25-34 years old (41 per cent).

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