A growing number of passengers are waiting until summer to travel, according to a recent passenger survey conducted by Dubai-based budget carrier flydubai. 

 

The survey, which was conducted this February with 2,800 passengers, was aimed to gauge passenger feedback on their travel plans and their experience while travelling with flydubai.

 

As per the survey, 66% of UAE residents said that they were likely to travel soon, either in the next one to three months (41%) or in the next four to six months (25%), indicating an intent to travel during the summer. 

 

When asked about the reasons for postponing travel 40% of them cited the barriers to travel such as quarantine when returning home and travel restrictions as the key factors in delaying their travel plans. 

 

Around 48% of those surveyed said that border closures were also a deciding factor in planning their next trip.

 

Commenting on the survey results, CEO Ghaith Al Ghaith said: "Customer feedback is incredibly important to us at flydubai and I would like to thank everyone who has taken the time to share their thoughts with us."

 

"We are pleased to see that passengers are intending to travel during the summer. Dubai has taken the lead in re-establishing tourism demonstrating that travel is both safe and possible," he stated.

 

"As vaccination programmes across the world gain momentum, we believe that more passengers will take the decision to travel and enjoy a well-earned summer break," he added.

 

According to him, flydubai’s network in the summer is expected to reach more than 80 points in 45 countries and offers passengers a variety of popular leisure destinations that reflects the diversity of its network. 

 

For those seeking a break, flydubai offers passengers the chance to explore a range of cities rich in culture, heritage and activities such as Batumi, Bodrum, Colombo, Malé, Tbilisi, Trabzon, Tirana and Tivat. 

 

Holidays by flydubai, the airlines holiday division, also offers a range of attractive tailor-made holiday packages across the flydubai network to suit all budgets with a single booking process.

 

According to flydubai, the survey also highlighted passengers’ confidence in the low-cost carrier's Covid-19 precautionary safety measures. 

 

From their travel experience with flydubai 91% felt that the airline crew adhered to Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) policies during their journey. Furthermore, 88% agreed that airport staff, at either the departure or arrival airport, followed the procedures. 

 

Moreover, 88% of passengers felt that aircraft cleanliness was of the upmost importance and 73% of passengers felt more confident because masks were being worn throughout the customer journey. They further appreciated the importance of limiting movement around the cabin during the flight (69%), it stated.

 

Mike Evans, Senior VP of Customer Experience, Brand and Communications, at flydubai, said: "Early in the pandemic we saw the industry come together to make the necessary changes to limit the spread of Covid-19. These tangible measures give people the confidence and peace of mind they need when they travel and it’s great to see this being reflected in their feedback."

 

"flydubai has redesigned its passenger journey to protect everyone. We have forged a partnership with our passengers and by working together we have created an environment that allows responsible travel," he added.

 

Accofrding to Evans, flydubai’s passenger experience has been redesigned to enable travel in a Covid-19 safe environment. 

 

"During a flight, air is exchanged in the cabin every two to three minutes and is sterile when it enters the cabin after passing through high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters. flydubai’s aircraft are disinfected every day with manufacturer-certified cleaning products," he noted.

 

Passengers are required to make sure that they are up to date with the regulations from the IATA Travel Centre and the  IATA destination tracker for their whole journey, and follow the guidance issued by the authorities and the airline, he added.-TradeArabia News Service