- Low-cost airlines now operate one in eight of all flights
- Europe, Middle East and Africa lead the way
- Asia-Pacific sees low-cost ops double
Low-cost airlines now account for 12% of all scheduled flight operations and 15% of all available seats, latest figures from OAG reveal. This represents one in eight of the world’s scheduled flights being provided by low-cost operators. The statistics are revealed in OAG’s latest Quarterly Airline Traffic Statistics, a quarterly snapshot of airline activity around the world. OAG collates data from more than 1000 scheduled airlines, on a daily basis, to give an overview of anticipated travel demand versus historical trends. In April 2005 the World’s airlines will operate nearly 2.3 million flights, with a potential 260 million available seats for sale. Low-cost airlines will account for just short of 300,000 flights, which equates to nearly 38 million available seats. As recently as April 2001, budget carriers accounted for only 6% of the world’s flights, and 8% of available seats. “The low-cost phenomenon continues to break all records,” says Duncan Alexander, Managing Director of OAG Business Development. “Compared with this time last year, low-fare airlines are this month operating 19% more flights, and offering 20% more seats.” Europe, the Middle East, and Africa are showing the most dramatic year-on-year growth in low-cost operations, but all major world regions are showing double-digit increases over April 2004. Within the Asia-Pacific region, where low-cost aviation is still in its infancy, the number of budget flights on offer has more than doubled since last year. Even in the established intra-European and domestic US markets, low-cost airlines continue to expand. Within Europe, there are 24% more budget flights today than in April last year; in the US, where the low-cost concept was born, the year-on-year increase is 12%. Since April 2001 the low-cost sector has increased market share from 12% to 17% of the US market.
| Key Regions | Frequency Variance April 2005 – April 2004 | | All Passenger Services Worldwide | 5% | | Low Cost Worldwide | 19% | | Low Cost Within Europe | 24% | | Low Cost Within US | 12% | | Low Cost Within Asia | 101% | | Low Cost Within Pacific/Australasia | 62% | For further Information please contact:
For further information about OAG please contact Duncan Alexander, Managing Director Business Development at OAG on +44 1582 695476 dalexander@oag.com or Margareta Stanley at DBA on +44 207 930 8033 or e-mail info@nchl.demon.co.uk For more detailed OAG statistical analysis on capacity trends please call Margareta Stanley at DBA on +44 207 930 8033.
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