Vola Summer Trends: Over 35% of flights in the summer season 2021 have been modified or canceled

The COVID-19 pandemic grounded thousands of planes and led to the cancellation of tens of thousands of flights. 2020 was the saddest year in the history of commercial aviation. There were days when more than 17 planes were stranded on the ground. There were times of the year when the number of flights to / from Romania could be counted on the fingers of one hand.

The year 2021 was a little better, with clear signs of the return of industries hard hit by the pandemic. Airlines rushed to resume flights and reconnect major European and global metropolises. Problem is high! Were the passengers ready to resume flights?

A study conducted by Vola shows that people want to travel, many of them preferring to buy last minute plane tickets. It's just that the uncertainty of flights has caused many others to postpone travel for tourism.

The challenge of this season: cancellations and changes to the flight schedule. Over 35% of flights during the summer season were affected

Here is what the specialists say Vola.ro: although airline ticket sales are approaching pre-pandemic levels in the case of the online travel agency; at the level of the aviation industry, the volumes are well below the expected values. In addition, the changes imposed by the authorities have limited demand at European level, leading to instabilities in the operation of flights. As a result, if in 2019 only a maximum of 5% of flights were modified or canceled, in 2021 over 35% of flights in the summer season were affected by delays or cancellations.

In my personal opinion, the reasons that led to these cancellations or changes to the program are varied. First, the instability of the pandemic and the restrictions imposed by the authorities. Too few passengers have dared to make long-term plans when it comes to vacations this summer. It was never known what restrictions would be introduced in the context in which some countries entered the red scenario, others relaxed in the green scenario.

Precisely because of this instability, the airlines had to cancel or postpone some flights due to lack of passengers. If in 2020, there were cases when it flew with 2-3 passengers, here that in 2021 the companies refused to fly with empty planes.

At the same time, there are airlines that have resurrected only a part of the operational fleet, also due to this unstable situation, which has led to a decrease in the operational program and, inevitably, flight delays have occurred. The flight crew did not return completely on the flights either. There are still airlines working with a small number of pilots and flight attendants.

If you have had problems with flights, especially if they have been canceled or delayed for more than 3 hours, contact the companies specialized in recovering compensation: AirHelp, FlightClaim, AirAdvisor!