IATA is deeply concerned about the sharp increase in incidents involving unruly passengers. Compared to 2019, this is a doubling, reports IATA CEO Willie Walsh. "Unacceptable", says the Irishman. In particular, the mandatory wearing of mouth masks regularly leads to incidents on board.

In the United States in particular, there has been a huge increase in the number of cases of unacceptable behavior by passengers, in some cases even leading to serious mistreatment of cabin crew.

The FAA recently reported that of the 3,100 incidents involving unruly passengers so far this year, 2,350 are related to travelers refusing to comply with federal mask regulations.

The mask requirement may be unpopular, but it can count on the approval of 83 percent of travelers. This is the conclusion of a survey by IATA among 4700 travelers in eleven countries. An even larger number (86 percent) are in favor of strict enforcement of that measure. At the same time, a majority also believes that the mask obligation should be ended as soon as possible.

The IATA survey also shows that a majority of travelers have confidence in the hygiene on board. 85 percent of those surveyed believe that aircraft are properly cleaned and disinfected. 65 percent believe the air in airplanes is just as clean as in an operating room.

Of those who have traveled by air since June 2020, 86 percent said they feel safe on board thanks to corona measures. 89 percent believe that the protective measures are well implemented and 90 percent believe that the staff ensures good compliance with the measures.

The hassle around corona protocols, paperwork, testing and uncertainty about rules still causes a lot of frustration. A vast majority (89 percent) believe that governments should standardize vaccination and testing certificates.

These responses should be a wake-up call for governments to better prepare for a reboot, Walsh said. Nearly two-thirds of respondents plan to resume travel within months of the pandemic being controlled (and borders opened). After six months, almost 85 percent expect to travel again.

To avoid congestion at airports and border control authorities, governments must agree to replace paper-based processes with digital solutions such as the IATA Travel Pass for vaccine and testing documentation.

--- DB4 - Jul 12 2021
* Origin: AVIATION ECHO HQ (2:292/854)