Holidaymakers are driving a surge in demand for business and first-class seats as post-pandemic air travel resumes

Holidaymakers are driving a surge in demand for business and first-class seats as post-pandemic air travel resumes

Leisure travelers are driving a recovery in premium air travel as more holidaymakers opt to spend their savings on business and first class seats amid a return to the skies, the head of the said. Demand for premium seats is outpacing a recovery in economy travel, helping the aviation industry bounce back faster from its pandemic collapse, and despite the impact of higher oil prices on fares, IATA's director general Willie Walsh said Monday, according to . "There's a strong pent-up demand for travel," Walsh told media at the Changi Aviation Summit in Singapore on Monday, Bloomberg reported. "Consumers had disposable income during the two years of the pandemic. People have saved and therefore they are prepared to spend that money." Air travel slumped during the pandemic but has been steadily recovering as countries ease their restrictions on overseas arrivals. International travel in the first quarter of this year stood at 48% of 2019 levels, Walsh said in a at the summit, an improvement on 2021 when traffic was at 25% of 2019 levels. Travel is picking up despite soaring fare prices, as income saved up during the pandemic, combined with a hunger for travel, means people are willing to