Business travellers cut back on air travel 

05-11-22

Three in five business travellers have reduced their flying habits as a result of the pandemic, according to a survey conducted by Transport & Environment as part of its Travel Smart campaign.

In a survey of 2506 employees in the UK, US, France, Germany and Spain, 74 per cent say that companies should set corporate flight reduction targets and that these should be part of travel policy to combat climate change.

62% say they have reduced their flying habits compared to pre-pandemic levels.

The survey shows that almost three quarters of employees believe that reductions in air travel are an important factor when it comes to reducing a company's carbon footprint. And of the 1279 respondents who reported needing to fly for work, 62% indicate that they have reduced their flying habits compared to pre-pandemic levels, 27% said they fly as often as they did before and 11% said they were now flying more.

"Corporate flying habits have changed and employees want a new normal where companies take responsibility for reducing their share of emissions," says Denise Auclair, corporate travel campaign manager at Transport & Environment. "Change will happen with clear targets and policies that align with employee expectations. This can only help companies in the current race to recruit and retain the best talent," she adds.

The survey also highlights a potential impact on meetings, with 72% of respondents saying they are willing to take fewer flights for internal meetings and 67% willing to plan more local meetings, rather than global meetings, to reduce long-haul flights.

"Employees understand the climate impact of long-haul flights and are willing to reduce their travel. But they expect senior management to lead by example and set ambitious business travel reduction targets," he adds.