Nearly three quarters of Canadians say they will be nervous about flying until a vaccine is developed for COVID-19, according to a recent survey. The poll of 1,001 Canadians aged 18 years and older was conducted by Nanos Research from May 17 to 19.

According to the survey, conducted on behalf of Edmonton-based Flair Airlines, 44 percent of those polled said they agree or somewhat agree (30 percent) that they would be nervous about flying until a vaccine against the coronavirus is available.

Not surprisingly, the most worried are 55-plus Canadians, 84 percent of whom agreed or somewhat agreed that they would be worried without a vaccine, compared to 65% or those aged 18 to 54. Nearly one in four (24 percent) of overall survey respondents said they would not worry.

Regionally, those from Ontario and British Columba are most concerned about having a vaccine (51 percent each), compared to residents of the Prairies and Quebec (37 and 36 percent respectively).

While the survey did not make it clear whether having a case of the jitters would result in passengers actually staying home, 47 percent of those surveyed said they would be unwilling to pay more if there was an empty seat beside them, while an equal number said they would.

The survey also mined the minds of those surveyed about the state of competition in Canada’s airline industry with 79 percent declaring that having access to low-cost flights is an “important contributor to the national interest and making Canada a stronger country.”

Nearly eight in 10 (78 percent) agreed that access to flights for under-serviced communities is important; and 70 percent said that the airline industry is an important contributor to the national interest.

Other key findings of the survey included:

• 36 percent of Canadians said they need more airline options when COVID-19 travel restrictions are relaxed compared to 11 percent who said they need less.

• More than four in five Canadians surveyed said that having a competitive airline industry to help the economic recovery is an important (47 percent) or somewhat important (39 percent) contributor to Canada’s national interest.

• More than eight in 10 Canadians agree (47 percent) or somewhat agree (35 percent) that discount airlines play an important role in the Canadian air travel industry.