With news reports of passengers dealing with long airport queues and Qantas executives being asked to volunteer as baggage handlers, new data from the ABS reveals the issues with air travel are not due to travelers failing to be “match fit” as Qantas CEO Alan Joyce suggested in April or “inexperienced passengers” as suggested by Sydney Airport chief executive Geoff Culbert.

While both air travel and accommodation jobs were reduced during the pandemic, the latest payroll job numbers show that accommodation jobs are almost back to pre-pandemic levels.

Air transport jobs however remain 31% down.

People are back travelling, but the workers have not been employed to provide the services.