Young people aged 18 to 34 are leading aviation’s revival compared to other age groups, according to a new consumer trends report from the Civil Aviation Authority.
Nearly two-thirds (65%) of young people said they had taken a flight in 2023 compared to less than half (47%) of those aged 55 and over who said they had. This is a 10 percentage point increase from 55% before the Covid-19 pandemic.
Before the pandemic, those aged 55 and over were the most frequent flyers, with 58% flying yearly.
The findings from the CAA’s Aviation Consumer Survey, which details trends in consumer behaviour and attitudes towards flying, gleaned from a survey of more than 3,500 people.
It also found a considerable increase in the number of consumers now likely to take more than one flight a year, with 70% of those flying in 2023 having flown several times.
This is up from 65% in October 2022, and a significant increase from the November 2020 figure of 49%.
The poll also found growing concerns about the environmental impact of flights.
Only 44% of consumers said they were concerned about the environmental impacts five years ago, but present-day concern grew to 76%.
However, only 7% of passengers who had not flown in the previous 12 months indicated that this was due to their environmental concerns.
Satisfaction with consumers’ most recent flying has steadily declined since the survey started in 2016 and currently sits at 79%.
It decreased most sharply among people aged over 55 and disabled people.
Anna Bowles, CAA head of consumer, said: “It is encouraging to see air travel among younger demographics on the rise after the impact that Covid-19 had on aviation, and that passengers are returning to the skies more frequently.
“However, 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.
“The survey also shows that passengers with disabilities and older passengers have been more reluctant to return to travelling by air since the Covid-19 pandemic. It is vital that, particularly in the ever-evolving digital evolution of the travel industry, those with disabilities and older passengers are not left behind by the sector.
“The findings of the Aviation Consumer Survey are a timely reminder to industry that accessibility must remain a priority across the board, and that we will continue to hold airlines and airports to account to protect consumers.”