One in six UK travellers would hop on a plane today, according to a new report

The global survey also suggests half of British passengers will be happy to get on a plane by the end of the year.

(Alamy/PA)

UK passengers are apparently some of the most confident in the world, with one in six ready to hop on a plane today.

Telecommunications company Inmarsat has released its Passenger Confidence Tracker 2021, gauging the perspectives on travel from over 10,000 global passengers.

It found  17% of British travellers would happily catch a flight today, which is 7% higher than the global average – and only topped by Greece (29%), Australia and Brazil (both 20%). And though that figure is still relatively low, over half of British respondents (56%) are confident about flying by the end of the year.

The survey, carried out by market research company Yonder, involved 10,110 online interviews with people who had taken a flight for leisure or business in the last 24 months.

Compare the British statistics to those in other countries: only 2% of Indonesian or Singaporean travellers would be ready to get on a flight today, 3% in Japan and 4% in India.

President of Inmarsat Aviation Philip Balaam said: “Over 1,000 airline passengers took part from the UK alone and the majority are eagerly awaiting a return to the skies. This is a positive sign for the future of aviation, especially after the industry’s growth appeared to once again be hampered by travel restrictions and quarantine uncertainty during the recent summer season.

“However, passenger requirements have evolved significantly since the pandemic and airlines will need to keep pace in order maintain and even accelerate the market’s recovery.”

These are some other key insights from the report…

Travellers are still concerned about the barriers to travel… With 67% from the UK worried about quarantine requirements, and 57% concerned about unpredictable border closures.

People are largely impressed with how airlines have responded to the pandemic… Over half (60%) of UK respondents felt comfortable with global safety standards and consistent hygiene practices on airlines. Half were satisfied with how airlines have responded to the pandemic – amongst some of the most positive respondents in the world.

Vaccine passports have widespread approval… With 77% of UK passengers believing they’re a good idea.

Reputation is crucial… Half of global passengers suggest airline reputation is more important to them following the pandemic.