A recent report from the Mastercard Economics Institute, which tracks global sales activity, says that 20 per cent of 32 countries it surveyed have seen domestic flight bookings rebound to nearly full, pre-pandemic capacity.
Canada is not among them.
In late MAY, according to a report about the survey, Canadian domestic flight bookings were at 28 per cent of pre-COVID levels, with international bookings even lower at 18 per cent, and corporate flight bookings a mere 14 per cent of their pre-pandemic levels.
Compare that to statistics south of the border, where travel has already been on the rebound. In the U.S., domestic flights are already above pre-pandemic levels, with international bookings closing the gap at just over 20 per cent lower than 2019 levels. Even corporate travel is rising, already over half of what is was prior to COVID.
But we’re not just lagging behind the U.S. "While some – including the U.S., Australia and France – are exceeding pre-pandemic domestic flight bookings, others – such as Canada, Thailand and New Zealand – are at a fraction of where they were before the pandemic began," the Institute’s survey reportedly said.
The report notes that the differences in flight booking patterns correlate to countries’ travel restrictions, with places like New Zealand imposing a near-complete ban on travel into or out of the country.
Canada enters Phase I of Ottawa’s border and travel reopening plan on 05JUL, when fully vaccinated Canadians can re-enter the country exempt from some quarantine and testing requirements.
The country’s travel, aviation and business communities have been demanding the government provide details of the criteria, timeline, and terms of subsequent Phases to allow companies to plan their resumption and ramp up of operations. So far, the government has not responded to those increasingly urgent requests.
Even in countries where travel has started to ‘take off’ again, it may not be all smooth sailing, with the report adding, "While there is pent-up consumer demand for travel, there's also a real potential for a supply shortage – of long-haul planes and pilots. The recovery of travel worldwide is likely to be imbalanced, drawn out and non-linear."
