If you’ve been craving the freedom to get out of Singapore for a short holiday, or a storeowner wishing for his favourite ang mohs to visit again, I’ve got good news for you.
Leisure travel might return sooner than expected.
How soon?
By the middle of this year.
International Air Transport Association Chief Said Leisure Travel Will Return by Mid-2021
According to the director of the International Air Transport Association (Iata), Alexandre de Juniac, leisure air travel could resume by the middle of this year.
He’s predicting that we’ll start to see changes after May or June 2021.
Currently, Iata is working with 33 different states globally to work out a roadmap and protocol for the reopening of borders.
One such protocol is the Iata’s travel pass, a mobile health verification app.
With the app, border officers can check the traveller’s vaccination history and COVID-19 test results.
Countries Already Preparing For Reopening
After more than one year of close borders, countries are equally excited to open their borders once again.
Singapore Airlines (SIA) is now trialling the Iata’s travel pass on flights from Singapore to London.
China has also announced its own vaccine passport while the US and Germany are about to release theirs soon.
Leisure Travel Will Recover Quicker Than Business Travel
Mr de Juniac predicts that travel for leisure will recover even quicker than travelling for business.
“You never appreciate what you had until you lose it. People are hungry to be free again, to travel again.”
Business travel, on the other hand, might take a longer time to recover, he pointed out, especially since companies have adopted digitalisation tools.
However, do not think that demand will return to pre-COVID-19 levels, he said.
It’ll Remain Weak Compared To Pre-COVID-19 Levels
Countries, he said, are still cautious, worried about new COVID-19 variants.
Even as borders gradually reopen, air travel will remain weak compared to pre-COVID-19 2019.
But, he added, it’ll be stronger than mid-2020.
In short, here’s what the “new normal” for airlines will be like:
- there’ll be fewer airlines
- airlines will likely deploy smaller planes
- full-service and long haul flights will not see business coming back for a long time
TL; DR: he’s expecting a boost in shorter flights, either domestic or to somewhere nearby.
The key now, he says, is how individual states handle their own vaccine and test regimes.
Feature Image: SpaceKris / Shutterstock.com
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