Global Survey Shows Travellers Still Struggle With Lack of Information About Delayed and Cancelled Flights, Says Cirium

/ -- New survey reveals well over a third of travellers have had to pay more to make alternative travel plans following a delayed flight Nearly two thirds would be likely to use an app which alerted family, friends and work colleagues if their flight was disrupted Cirium, the aviation data and analytics experts, say flight delays and cancellations cost airlines over US$30bn a year Over a third of global travellers (36%) say they don't get enough information about delayed and cancelled flights, according to aviation and data analytics experts at Cirium.

A new survey for Cirium reveals the impact of flight delays and cancellations and the need for better management of flight disruption, with more communication via proactive flight updates for affected passengers.

Almost two thirds (61%) of those surveyed said that they would be likely to use an app which alerted their friends, family or company about their delay.

In 2018, approximately 3.9 million flights - or 10,700 a day - were delayed by over 30 minutes or cancelled globally, affecting more than 470 million passenger journeys around the world.

Flight delays and cancellation cost airlines globally US$30bn a year in lost revenue, in addition to costs borne by their passengers.

Airline flight delays and cancellations are caused by a wide range of factors, such as technical issues with aircraft, bad weather, air traffic control problems, strikes, medical diversions and congested airports, among many others.

The global YouGov study conducted for Cirium in the UK, US, UAE and China, showed more than a third of travellers worldwide (35%) who had experienced a delayed or cancelled flight, did not find it easy to change their travel plans, with well over a third (40%) left out of pocket after being forced to pay more to make alternative travel plans.

Airlines also had to bear the massive cost of disruption with flight delays and cancellations costing the equivalent of US$7 for every departing passenger - slightly less than the airline's net profit per person per departing flight.

Jeremy Bowen, Cirium Chief Executive Officer, said: "Flight delays and cancellations are an unfortunate aspect of modern air travel and can have a big impact on travellers, whether flying for business or leisure. We recognize that the cost of disruption for airlines is also a significant problem. While our survey reveals well over a third of passengers still have to pay more for alternative travel plans, airlines can proactively issue flight alerts ahead of travel and re-allocate tickets without fees to take the sting out of flight disruption. We all want to travel stress free and get people to where they want to go, which is why at Cirium we work closely with airlines around the world on initiatives which reduce the impact of disrupted flights."
For media enquiries, please contact: Paul Charles / Michael Johnson / Claire Simpson at The PC Agency via cirium@pc.agency or +44-207-768-0001
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