The aviation sector is amongst the sectors impacted most by the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to cancelation of flights, closed borders and airspaces, many corporate travellers think it is difficult to fly again. Data shows that flights become more available, but that demand remains relatively low.

As countries worldwide closed their (air) borders, commercial air traffic almost came to a complete standstill. This coincided with a sharp drop of around 80% in searches for flights in the Netherlands. In other words, the demand for flights corresponded with the availability of flights in the first weeks of the pandemic.

In the last weeks of March, however, the number of cancelled flights in the Netherlands continued to drop while the decrease in searches for flights found its low point at approximately 80%. This means that the demand for flights was higher than the number of available flights.

This changed when an increasing number of countries eased its entry restrictions in an attempt to kickstart their economy. As a result, the percentage of cancelled flights in the Netherlands decreased and the number of available flights started growing. Interestingly enough, this increase was not matched with a rise in searches for flights, which remained stable low.

As such, the perception of available flights does not coincide with reality anymore. This could mean that opportunities to restart international projects and generate much-needed cash flow are wasted unnecessarily. Interested in learning more about restarting projects during the COVID-19 pandemic? Contact us at: [email protected]