Americans Split on Flying Again According to New Poll

Almost half of Americans say they would prefer to wait until the global coronavirus pandemic comes to an end before they get on a plane again, according to a new poll as reported by Travel Weekly.

A new Harris Poll survey of 2,039 adults conducted from May 1 to 3 shows that 48 percent of Americans say they won’t be comfortable flying until the COVID-19 pandemic is over.

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Harris also found that just 19 percent of respondents said their opinion of airlines has improved during the pandemic, less than all other industries it asked about except for real estate.

However, 41 percent said they did miss traveling by air, and 28 percent said a combination of mandatory mask policies and additional safety and sanitation measures would make them feel more comfortable about flying.

The poll comes in the midst of an unprecedented time for the airline industry. A lack of demand for air travel dropped capacity a whopping 95 percent in April, with an average of just 17 passengers per flight on domestic flights.

According to the Harris survey, those who do plan to get back in the air in the next three months include 41 percent who are men and 26 percent women. Forty percent of Gen Zs/Millennials said they would fly during that time frame, compared with 37 percent of Gen X respondents and 27 percent of baby boomers.