The UK Civil Aviation Authority has found that 18- to 34-year-olds are leading the aviation revival in the post-Covid era in its new consumer trend.
65% of that age group in the study had taken a flight in 2023 compared to 47% of those aged 55 and over. Prior to the pandemic, 55% of young people had said they had taken a flight in 2019 whereas the 55 and over age group flying yearly was 58%. It appears the pandemic has perhaps made older generations more hesitant to travel far whereas younger generations are taking up the after a period of travel restrictions.
“It is encouraging to see air travel among younger demographics on the rise after the impact that Covid had on aviation, and that passengers are returning to the skies more frequently,” said UK Civil Aviation Authority head of consumer Anna Bowles.
However, the UK Civil Aviation Authority found that customer satisfaction has declined to 79%, which has steadily declined since the first report in 2016. Furthermore, customer concerns over environmental impacts of air travel have risen to 76%, compared to 44% five years ago. Only 7% of respondents who had not flown in 2023 indicated that it was due to environmental concerns.
Bowles added: “the continued decline in satisfaction with the overall travel experience shows that the industry needs to do more to ensure that they understand the expectations of their passengers and that they are meeting these.”