Collecting local views on the post-Covid future of flying

As we prepare for the lifting of the great lockdown, many of our thoughts are turning to our next holiday. After a year in our homes, more and more peoples are planning trips – both within the UK and beyond.

A new study from the University of Bristol has released a survey to collect data from across Bristol to understand how local people will fly in the future – and whether the impacts of Covid-19 have influenced our behaviour.

As departure halls emptied and planes remained on runways last year, passenger numbers dropped by over 90%. Many environmentalists became filled with the hope that we would fly less. With the aviation sector estimated to be responsible for 2% of global, human-caused CO2 emissions per year, this represented a great opportunity to fight climate change.

However, as we have been vaccinated and a roadmap out of lockdown has been laid out, more and more people are booking flights – seeking to get away, to sunbathe and to see family and friends. While it might take some time for airlines to get back to normal, the rest of 2021 will likely kickstart their recovery.

The aim of this survey is to find out how people in Bristol might return to flying in the future, as well as the reasons for getting on a plane – or sending gifts or receiving parcels through airmail. Whilst there is a lot of talk about flying in the media, the views of people who have used and might use air travel again are an essential part of discussions of what the future holds.

The team of researchers at the University of Bristol would like to know what people’s opinions on flying are and how they might have changed, in the wake of Covid-19. This survey will help identify how there might have been a shift in people’s thinking – and what this might mean for the future of flying.

Ed Atkins, a Lecturer at the University of Bristol, explains: “The images of empty airports and cancelled flights were some of the most dramatic examples of how Covid-19 completely changed how we travel. But, we don’t know if this will be a long-term change. If we are to fly less, there will be less need for new airports and more need for different travel options. This survey wishes to start this conversation.”

Professor Martin Parker from the University’s Inclusive Economy Initiative was keen to stress the importance of this research for local issues such as the expansion of the airport: “Reducing aircraft emissions will almost certainly mean that we don’t fly as much, but how do we deal with the resistance that will cause and the jobs that might be lost? We need to understand better what people need and want so that we can better plan for a low carbon future.”

This is your chance to share your views on the future of flying – as well as how you might fly in the future.

To take part in the survey, please fill out the form below or visit: https://tinyurl.com/bristolflying