Airlines say travellers may be growing accustomed to terror spree

It may be a sign of the times, but the latest round of terrorist attacks in Europe appears not to be having the usual impact on travel demand as tourists show signs of becoming inured to the threat of violence. BA has seen no dip in bookings following the recent deaths in London and Manchester, according to the head of its parent group IAG, who said international travelers may be growing accustomed to the risks. Lufthansa also said the market is proving surprisingly resilient. Demand from Asia has advanced more than expected and the weaker pound is encouraging travel from the US, IAG CEO Willie Walsh said. Both markets have experienced sharp dips and slow recoveries in the wake of previous terrorist attacks. “It would be terrible if people start just considering that this is routine or normal, but we haven’t seen an impact on bookings,” Walsh said. “In the past we would expect it to have some impact, but we haven’t seen anything.” Britain has suffered three major terrorists incidents in as many months. Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr also reported surging demand despite the string of terror attacks that has also affected Germany. “I’m concerned as a citizen about these attacks because they’re terrible, but from an outlook perspective we are getting more optimistic every week,” he said. “It’s definitely moving along a lot better than we expected.”<br/>