As airlines improved their performance, more people were flying last year than any time since the airline industry began regularly surveying air travellers in 1971. And more passengers were satisfied with their travel experience last year than the year before, according to the Ipsos Public Affairs survey that was to be released Tuesday. The portion of the population that flew last year reached 49%, up from 21% in 1971 when the industry first began surveying. Among last year’s passengers, 85% said they were “very” or “somewhat” satisfied with their overall experience, according to the survey. That compared to 79% of fliers being satisfied with the experience in 2015. A 1978 story in US News and World Report magazine said a survey for the previous year found airline travel got a “good” rating from 52% of passengers. <br/>
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US president Donald Trump has called on Congress to invest US$1t in US infrastructure, including US airports, which he has previously described as the “bottom of the rung” internationally. “Crumbling infrastructure will be replaced with new roads, bridges, tunnels, airports and railways gleaming across our beautiful land,” Trump said in a Feb 28 address to Congress, calling for “a new program of national rebuilding.” Airports Council International-North America president and CE Kevin Burke, who participated in a February White House meeting Trump held with US airline CEs and airport directors, said airports “welcomed [Trump’s] continued commitment to improving airport infrastructure … We look forward to continuing our work with the Trump administration to address our significant airport infrastructure needs.” <br/>
Suvarnabhumi airport staff are being drafted in to help speed up passenger flow through immigration to cope with a spike in passenger numbers. Responding to criticism about long queues at immigration checkpoints, particularly outbound channels, the airport's GM, Sirote Duangratana, said staff will help passengers fill in departure and arrival forms. Staff would also be brought in to make sure all X-ray channels before passengers head to immigration counters are manned, he said. "The number of passengers using Suvarnabhumi airport continues to rise dramatically," Sirote said, adding the airport currently handles almost 200,000 passengers and 1,000 flights daily. He said the number of passengers rose by 10% in the first 2 months of this year. <br/>