Bumpy rides: Number of UK daily flights at half of pre-Covid levels
Turbulent times are far from over for airlines, as the number of UK daily flights is at an average of 2,443 per day – still 49 per cent down on pre-pandemic levels, according to data from the Office for National Statistics (ONGS).
Commenting on the results, Hargreaves Lansdown’s senior investment and market analyst Susannah Streeter said: “Despite high hopes that mass vaccine roll outs would by now have propelled the airline industry upwards on a smooth ride of demand, the latest data shows that turbulence is continuing, with UK daily flights still at half of pre pandemic levels.
The ONS reported that, despite the decrease on pre-pandemic levels, flight numbers have gone up 245 per cent compared with last year.
“However, compared to the bleak winter of 2021, there has been an improvement,” she added.
According to Streeter, even though the UK Government’s decision to remove all Covid testing for fully vaccinated travellers will definitely help the industry, hiccups could still take place on the path to recovery.
“It’s unclear what the definition of ‘fully vaccinated’ will be and at what point a booster jab will be required by travellers before a need for a test is eliminated,” she added.
BA’s owner IAG went down 1.21 per cent today, while Easyjet opened at 625.20p going up 1.50 per cent to 634.60p.