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Demand for flights fell sharply among some of Europe’s biggest airlines as disruptions to the aviation industry showed signs of hitting people’s appetite for travel.
In the first week of July, bookings for flights in Europe in July and August were 44 percent below 2019 levels, according to travel industry information company ForwardKeys.
It’s a significant change from the previous week in May, when bookings for July and August were close to tracking 2019 levels as airlines experienced strong demand after all travel restrictions in Europe were lifted.
The data is drawn from an industry-wide ticketing database and includes major national carriers such as Lufthansa, British Airways and Air France. But it lacks sales from low-cost carriers such as Ryanair or easyJet, who have reported some very strong demand this summer.
The slowdown in sales combined with tens of thousands of flight cancellations has dampened the outlook for an industry that is experiencing a resurgence in passenger numbers.
Olivier Ponti, chief executive of ForwardCase, said: “As we are seeing a dramatic slowdown in last-minute flight bookings, the level of disruption is dampening rising demand.
As of May 30, total bookings for flights within Europe in July and August at any time this year were 17 percent behind 2019 levels. Seven weeks later, however, that gap had widened another 5 percentage points to 22 percent.
The airports of London and Amsterdam, the two major cities, were hit particularly hard, with delays of 11 and 13 percent, respectively.
Despite weeks of negative news about travel this summer, including the cancellation of nearly 30,000 flights by British Airways alone, airline bosses have previously said consumer demand for flying has held up well.
EasyJet CEO Johan Lundgren said on Tuesday that the airline’s operations had recovered after a difficult start to the summer.
“Things under our control [have] Calm down,” he said.
But some problems were still plaguing the airline, including air traffic control disruptions and delays at extended baggage handling companies.
On Monday, light jet services were grounded at Luton Airport after the airport was forced to ground the aircraft affected by extreme heat.
“If the runways are closed, we can’t help it because they’re melting,” Lundgren said.
On Monday, Emirates president Sir Tim Clark said the industry would have to “work hard” into next year as it rebuilds resources following the pandemic.
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