Lubbock Business Air Travel Recovery from COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a lingering downturn in air travel across the country. When should we expect air travel to recover for businesses who rely on it? What changes should we expect to see even when the pandemic ends? We surveyed Lubbock area businesses to gather input and information about the potential future of business air travel.
Half of the respondents indicated they have not been flying at all since March, while only 17% of respondents report flying as frequently as they did before the pandemic. The most common reasons for the downturn in air travel were because meetings/events people would typically travel to were canceled or postponed, safety concerns due to COVID-19, and less incentive to travel due to virtual meeting options becoming more widely available.
By a two-to-one margin, respondents said they have flown more for personal reasons than for business since the pandemic started, indicating business air travel hasn't caught up to personal demand. In other words, people felt comfortable traveling to see family or to go on vacation, but the business air travel opportunities (conferences, meetings, etc.) being unavailable have reduced air travel for business purposes.
In terms of the outlook for recovery, there is a high degree of uncertainty but also a fair amount of optimism from respondents. While just 13% say their typical business air travel has recovered to pre-pandemic levels, another one-quarter of respondents indicated they anticipated their air travel to recover before the end of 2020. Another two-thirds of respondents anticipate recovery will continue throughout 2021. One-quarter of respondents are unsure when their typical air travel will recover, and 40% say it won't recover until a vaccine is widely distributed.
The survey was completed in September and October, prior to the latest increase in cases and hospitalizations. The Lubbock Airport is a critical piece of infrastructure for Lubbock business. While uncertainty looms and recovery will take some time, overall business travelers appear confident that a pre-pandemic travel routine can be restored in 2021.
Half of the respondents indicated they have not been flying at all since March, while only 17% of respondents report flying as frequently as they did before the pandemic. The most common reasons for the downturn in air travel were because meetings/events people would typically travel to were canceled or postponed, safety concerns due to COVID-19, and less incentive to travel due to virtual meeting options becoming more widely available.
By a two-to-one margin, respondents said they have flown more for personal reasons than for business since the pandemic started, indicating business air travel hasn't caught up to personal demand. In other words, people felt comfortable traveling to see family or to go on vacation, but the business air travel opportunities (conferences, meetings, etc.) being unavailable have reduced air travel for business purposes.
In terms of the outlook for recovery, there is a high degree of uncertainty but also a fair amount of optimism from respondents. While just 13% say their typical business air travel has recovered to pre-pandemic levels, another one-quarter of respondents indicated they anticipated their air travel to recover before the end of 2020. Another two-thirds of respondents anticipate recovery will continue throughout 2021. One-quarter of respondents are unsure when their typical air travel will recover, and 40% say it won't recover until a vaccine is widely distributed.
The survey was completed in September and October, prior to the latest increase in cases and hospitalizations. The Lubbock Airport is a critical piece of infrastructure for Lubbock business. While uncertainty looms and recovery will take some time, overall business travelers appear confident that a pre-pandemic travel routine can be restored in 2021.
