Cuthere - You continue to attack the messenger rather than the issue at hand. A substantial cohort of customers will not book flights until covid theatre is completely swept away. Tests, masks in airports and aboard aircraft, extra paperwork, fiddly phone apps (particularly worrisome for the elderly) remain major stumbling blocks. That's a fact, and if you don't believe it, take a look at the stats.
Since you seem keen to dismiss me personally for "bimbling around" etc., I'm happy to confirm that I flew eight times as SLF in 2021, but chose from destinations which presented the least covid hassle and risk of late rule changes. BFS didn't make the cut on that score, and Northern Ireland DID change their rules again - so I was right. Meanwhile, I had several other flights booked in 2021, but the eight I did get to fly on were those which survived cancellation by the airline. So I personally will take extra measures to ensure that I can travel, but many others will not. I've very recently had MAN-ORK-MAN flights cancelled by Ryanair for next week. We're not out of this yet.
I also book flights on behalf of a neighbour who regularly visited friends in County Antrim; she has chosen not to travel for over two years now because she fears the hassle implied. Her friend has not flown the other way either. I ask her when she wants to book again, and she says "not yet".
I have now set up covid-pass phone apps for three different near-neighbours to enable them to fly out to visit grandchildren etc (word gets around that I have done this for one, and others come forward to ask!). They're very apprehensive, but they're prepared to go through with it to see the kids again. But ask them about a discretionary holiday, and they don't want to know. Too much risk of things going wrong. They'd be "too nervous to enjoy it".
That's the reality out there. Be as dismissive as you like. Being in denial doesn't change it.