Indicating how severely COVID-19 has disrupted the airline industry in its peak travel season, about half of American adults who flew at least once a year before the pandemic (52%) currently say they would not be comfortable flying. This figure varies significantly by age and political affiliation; most notably, 69% of American air travelers aged 55 and older say they would not be comfortable flying, compared with 33% of those aged 18 to 34…

Political affiliation also shows significant ties to U.S. air travelers’ attitudes about flying. Currently, about six in 10 Democrats (59%) say they would not be comfortable flying at all, compared with about four in 10 Republicans (42%). Independents lean more toward Democrats’ views, at 54%.