A Cebu Pacific Airbus A319 parked on the apron at Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

A low-cost carrier or low-cost airline (also known as a no-frills or discount carrier / airline) is an airline that offers generally low fares in exchange for eliminating many traditional passenger services. The concept originated in the United States before spreading to Europe in the early 1990s and subsequently to much of the rest of the world. The term originated within the airline industry referring to airlines with a lower operating cost structure than their competitors. Through popular media the term has since come to define any carrier with low ticket prices and limited services regardless of their operating costs. Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixels Full resolution (1600 × 1200 pixel, file size: 453 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg)A Cebu Pacific airplane on the runway of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, near the domestic terminal. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixels Full resolution (1600 × 1200 pixel, file size: 453 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg)A Cebu Pacific airplane on the runway of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, near the domestic terminal. ... The Airbus A320 is a short to medium range commercial passenger aircraft manufactured by Airbus. ... The Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Filipino: Paliparang Pandaigdig ng Ninoy Aquino) or NAIA (IATA: MNL, ICAO: RPLL) is the international airport that serves Manila, in the Philippines, and its surrounding metropolitan area. ... No-frills or no frills is the term used to describe any service or product for which the non-essential features (or frills) have been removed. ... Discounts and allowances are modifications to the basic price. ... An Airbus A380 of Emirates Airline An airline provides air transport services for passengers or freight. ... World map showing the location of Europe. ...

Business Model

Typical low-cost carrier business model practices include: The term business model describes a broad range of informal and formal models that are used by enterprises to represent various aspects of business, such as operational processes, organizational structures, and financial forecasts. ...

• a single passenger class
• a single type of aeroplane (commonly the Airbus A320 or Boeing 737), reducing training and servicing costs.
• a simple fare scheme, such as charging one-way tickets half that of round-trips (typically fares increase as the plane fills up, which rewards early reservations)
• unreserved seating (encouraging passengers to board early and quickly)
• flying to cheaper, less congested secondary airports and flying early in the morning or late in the evening to avoid air traffic delays and take advantage of lower landing fees
• fast turnaround times (allowing maximum utilization of aircraft)
• simplified routes, emphasizing point-to-point transit instead of transfers at hubs (again enhancing aircraft utilization and eliminating disruption due to delayed passengers or luggage missing connecting flights)
• emphasis on direct sales of tickets, especially over the Internet (avoiding fees and commissions paid to travel agents and computer reservations systems)
• encouraged use and issuance of the electronic ticket or ticketless travel
• employees working in multiple roles, for instance flight attendants also cleaning the aircraft or working as gate agents (limiting personnel costs)
• "Free" in-flight catering and other "complimentary" services are eliminated, and replaced by optional paid-for in-flight food and drink (which represent an additional profit source for the airline).
• Aggressive fuel hedging programs.
• "Unbundling" of ancillary charges (showing airport fees, taxes as separate charges rather than as part of the advertised fare) to make the "headline fare" appear lower.

Not every low-cost carrier implements all of the above points (for example, some try to differentiate themselves with allocated seating, while others operate more than one aircraft type, still others will have relatively high operating costs but lower fares). Nonetheless these are general characteristics, most of which apply to any given low-cost carrier. This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... The Airbus A320 is a short-to-medium range commercial passenger aircraft manufactured by Airbus. ... The Boeing 737 is the worlds most popular medium range, narrow body airliner. ... A travel agency is a store where individuals or families go to buy travel packages. ... A computer reservations system, or CRS, is a computerized system used to store and retrieve information and conduct transactions related to travel. ... An electronic ticket or e-ticket is used to represent the purchase of a seat on a passenger airline, usually through a website or by telephone. ... Fuel hedging is the practice, often employed by airline companies, of making advance purchases of fuel at a fixed price for future delivery to protect against the shock of anticipated rises in price. ...

Particular characteristics of the United States market

The principal area of competition tends to be the full-coach or "walk-up" fare. Advance purchase fares tend to be competitive with major carriers but not significantly lower. Most successful LCCs try to offer a modicum of additional benefits, such as better on-time performance or more leg room. AirTran Airways and Spirit Airlines have been very successful with their low-fare Business Classes, while Frontier and JetBlue offer live in-flight television. Major carrier or Major Airline is a designation given by the United States Department of Transportation to U.S.-based airlines that post more than $1 billion in revenue during a fiscal year. ... AirTran Airways (NYSE: AAI), is a low-cost airline based in Orlando, Florida, USA and is a subsidiary of AirTran Holdings. ... Spirit Airlines is a United States low-cost airline operating nationwide scheduled and charter flights. ... For the similar named Frontier Flying Service see Frontier Flying Service. ... jetBlue Airways (NASDAQ: JBLU) is an American low-cost airline. ...

History

Boeing 737-700 of UK low cost carrier easyJet waiting for take off at Bristol

The first successful low-cost carrier was Pacific Southwest Airlines in the United States, which pioneered the concept when their first flight took place on May 6, 1949. Often, this credit has been incorrectly given to Southwest Airlines which began service in 1971 and has been profitable every year since 1973. With the advent of aviation deregulation the model spread to Europe as well, the most notable successes being Ireland's Ryanair, which began low-fares operations in 1991, and easyJet, formed in 1995. Low cost carriers developed in Asia and Oceania from 2000 led by operators such as Malaysia's AirAsia, and Australia's Virgin Blue. The low-cost carrier model is applicable worldwide, although deregulated markets are most suited for its rapid spread. In 2006, new LCCs were announced in Saudi Arabia and Mexico. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1600x1095, 609 KB) Boeing 737-700 of UK low cost carrier easyJet waiting for take off at Bristol International Airport, England. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1600x1095, 609 KB) Boeing 737-700 of UK low cost carrier easyJet waiting for take off at Bristol International Airport, England. ... 737 in new Boeing Colors. ... easyJet (LSE: EZJ) is a low cost airline officially known as easyJet Airline Company Limited, based at London Luton Airport. ... Bristol International Airport (IATA: BRS, ICAO: EGGD) is the commercial airport serving the city of Bristol in England, and the surrounding area. ... PSA logo from the 1980s Pacific Southwest Airlines (PSA) (IATA: PS, ICAO: PSA, and Callsign: PSA) was an airline headquartered in San Diego, California. ... is the 126th day of the year (127th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1949 (MCMXLIX) was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1949 calendar). ... Southwest Airlines, Inc. ... Deregulation is the process by which governments remove, reduce, or simplify restrictions on business and individuals in order to (in theory) encourage the efficient operation of markets. ... World map showing the location of Europe. ... Ryanair (ISEQ: RYA, LSE: RYA, NASDAQ: RYAAY) is an Irish airline headquartered in Dublin. ... easyJet (LSE: EZJ) is a low cost airline officially known as easyJet Airline Company Limited, based at London Luton Airport. ... World map showing the location of Asia. ... World map exhibiting a common interpretation of Oceania; other interpretations may vary. ... AirAsia is a low-cost airline based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. ... Virgin Blue is an Australian low-cost airline and Australias second-biggest airline. ...

Low-cost carriers pose a serious threat to traditional "full service" airlines, since the high cost structure of full-service carriers prevents them from competing effectively on price - the most important factor among most consumers when selecting a carrier. From 2001 to 2003, when the aviation industry was rocked by terrorism, war and SARS, the large majority of traditional airlines suffered heavy losses while low-cost carriers generally stayed profitable. Terrorist redirects here. ... WAR is a three-letter abbreviation with multiple meanings, as described below: War War (band) Warrenton Railroad (AAR reporting marks WAR) WAR, a Japanese professional wrestling promotion Web ARchive, a file format used to package Java programming language applications. ... Sars may refer to any of the following: Severe acute respiratory syndrome, commonly abbreviated as SARS Michael Sars, a Norwegian biologist, father of Georg Sars Georg Sars, a Norwegian biologist, son of Michael Sars Special Administrative Regions, commonly abbreviated as SARs Sars, Perm Krai, an urban settlement in Perm Krai...

Many carriers opted to launch their own no-frills airlines, such as KLM's Buzz, British Airways' Go, Air India's Air India-Express and United's Ted, but have found it difficult to avoid cannibalizing their core business. Exceptions to this have been bmi's bmibaby, germanwings which is controlled 49% by Lufthansa and Qantas's Jetstar all of which successfully operate alongside their full-service counterparts. KLM Royal Dutch Airlines (in full: Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij, literally Royal Aviation Company; usual English: Royal Dutch Airlines) is a subsidiary of Air France-KLM. Prior to its merger with Air France, KLM was the national airline of the Netherlands. ... buzz BAe 146-300 buzz was a low-cost airline based at London Stansted operating services to Europe. ... For the 1930s airline of similar name, see British Airways Ltd. ... Go Fly Boeing 737 Go Fly was the registered name of a British airline, usually trading as Go, now merged into easyJet. ... Air India (formerly Air-India, Hindi: ) is the national flag carrier of India with a worldwide network of passenger and cargo services. ... United Airlines, also known as United Air Lines, Inc. ... Ted is an airline brand operating in the United States, part of United Airlines. ... bmi is a scheduled airline based in the United Kingdom. ... bmibaby is the low-cost airline subsidiary of bmi. ... Germanwings Airbus A319 at Dortmund Airport Germanwing Airbus A319 Germanwings is a low fares airline based in Cologne, Germany. ... Deutsche Lufthansa AG (ISIN: DE0008232125) (pronounced ) is the largest airline in Germany, and the second-largest in Europe (behind Air France-KLM, but before British Airways). ... Qantas (pronounced ) is the name and callsign of the national airline of Australia and the worlds oldest continuously running independent airline. ... Jetstar Airways is a low-cost airline based in Melbourne, Australia. ...

For holiday destinations, low cost airlines also compete with seat-only charter sales. However, the inflexibility of charters (particularly as regards length of stay) makes them unpopular with many travelers.

The entry of new nations into the European Union from Eastern Europe and moves towards compliance with EU legislation by those who have not yet joined, has led to an extension of open skies arrangements. This has led to the establishment of low-cost routes by existing and new operators such as Hungarian Wizz Air which took its first flight on 19th May 2004. From 2004 to 2006 routes have been established into Bulgaria, Slovenia, Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic. Low cost airlines are also now starting to fly into Turkey. Map of Eastern Europe Pre-1989 division between the West (grey) and Eastern Bloc (orange) superimposed on current national boundaries: Russia (dark orange), other countries of the former USSR (medium orange),members of the Warsaw pact (light orange), and other former Communist regimes not aligned with Moscow (lightest orange). ... The Open Skies system is an integrated web-enabled reservation and inventory system suite that includes Internet, call center, airport departure control functionality and more. ... Wizz Air is a Polish/Hungarian low-cost airline focusing on the markets of Central Europe. ...

In Canada, Air Canada has found it difficult to compete with new low-cost rivals such as Westjet, Canjet, and Jetsgo despite its previously dominant position in the market: Air Canada entered a period of bankruptcy protection in 2003, but emerged from protection in September 2004. Air Canada operated two low-fare subsidiaries, Tango and Zip, but both were discontinued. (Jetsgo itself ceased operations on March 11, 2005 and Canjet announced that it will discontinued scheduled air services on September 10, 2006.) Air Canada is Canadas largest airline and flag carrier. ... A WestJet Boeing 737-700 WestJet (TSX: WJA) is a Canadian low-cost carrier based in Calgary, Alberta, that flies to most major cities in Canada and 11 cities in the United States. ... For the airport located in Cajamarca, Cajamarca, Peru see My. ... Jetsgo (IATA: SG, ICAO: JGO, and Callsign: Jetsgo) was a Canadian low-cost carrier based in Montreal, which served 19 destinations across Canada, 10 destinations in the United States, and 12 scheduled weekend-charter destinations in the Caribbean. ... Air Canada is Canadas largest airline and flag carrier. ... Notice of closure stuck on the door of a computer store the day after its parent company, Granville Technology Group Ltd, declared bankruptcy (strictly, put into administration - see text) in the UK. Bankruptcy is a legally declared inability or impairment of ability of an individual or organizations to pay their... Air Canada Tango was a discount airline launched by Air Canada in 2001 to offer no-frills service on some of Air Canadas routes and to reduce operating costs at the struggling Air Canada. ... Zip (IATA: 3J, ICAO: WZP, and Callsign: Zipper) was a Canadian discount airline based in Calgary, Alberta launched by Air Canada as a no-frills subsidiary in September 2002. ... March 11 is the 70th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (71st in leap years). ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... September 10 is the 253rd day of the Gregorian calendar (254th in leap years). ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ...

India's first low-cost airline, Air Deccan started service on August 25, 2003. The airline's fares for the Delhi-Bangalore route were 30% less than those offered by its rivals such as Indian Airlines, Air Sahara and Jet Airways on the same route. The success of Air Deccan has spurred the entry of more than a dozen low-cost airlines in India. Air Deccan now faces stiff competition from other low-cost Indian carriers such as SpiceJet, GoAir and Paramount Airways. IndiGo Airlines recently placed an order for 100 Airbus A320s worth 6 billion USD during the Paris Air Show, the highest by any Asian domestic carrier. After a year of operation, in 2006, Kingfisher Airlines changed its business model from low-cost to value airlines. Interior of Air Deccan Airbus A320 Air Deccan (Kannada: ; Hindi: ) is an airline based in Bangalore, India. ... August 25 is the 237th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (238th in leap years), with 128 days remaining. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... , Delhi (Hindi: , Urdu: , Punjabi: ), sometimes referred to as Dilli, is the second-largest metropolis in India after Mumbai with a population of 13 million. ... , Bangalore (proposed to be renamed Bengaluru) (Kannada: ; pronunciation: in Kannada and in English) is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Air India. ... Air Sahara is an airline based in New Delhi, India. ... Jet Airways is a full-service scheduled airline based in Mumbai, India serving domestic and international routes. ... SpiceJet is an airline based in New Delhi in India. ... GO AIR GO AIR is a low cost carrier promoted by the Wadia group,which was launched on Dec 12, 2005 ... Paramount Airways is a full business class airline operating in India and has its headquarters at Chennai, in Southern India Ī== History == The airline was launched on 19 October 2005 by the Paramount Group, a leading Indian textile manufacturer based in Madurai. ... Please wikify (format) this article as suggested in the Guide to layout and the Manual of Style. ... The Airbus A320 is a short-to-medium range commercial passenger aircraft manufactured by Airbus. ... The United States dollar is the official currency of the United States. ... A Mirage 2000-5 at the Paris Air Show The Paris Air Show (Salon International de lAéronautique et de lEspace, Paris-Le Bourget) is an international trade fair for the aerospace business. ... Kingfisher Airlines is a private airline based in Bangalore, India. ...

In Finland the competition went in a different direction, as the national carrier Finnair lowered prices so that the low-cost competitor Flying Finn was forced to cease its operations. Three months after Flying Finn's bankruptcy, the other operator Blue1 began flights to three of Flying Finn's most profitable destinations. Finnair Airbus A320-200 Finnair MD-11, decorated with Moomin characters Finnair is Finlands largest airline and the national flag carrier. ... OH-LMR in Helsinki-Vantaa November 2003 Flying Finn was a low cost airline, based at Helsinki-Vantaa airport, Finland. ... Blue1 is an airline based in Helsinki, Finland. ...

A Jazeera Airways Airbus A320, a low-cost airline of Kuwait.

In Norway the first low cost carrier was ColorAir in 1998. Their low prices were matched by competitors SAS and Braathens, and Color Air folded in 1999. The next low cost carrier, Norwegian Air Shuttle (or Norwegian), starting their Boeing 737 operations in September 2002, provided tougher competition for the merged Norwegian part of SAS and Braathens. Although Norwegian started with domestic routes, today their international operations are larger than their domestic service. By launching nonstop flights from cities like Stavanger, Bergen, Trondheim in addition to Oslo, they soon became very popular. Norwegians are amongst the most frequent fliers in the world, mostly due to the geography of the country but also due to the high level of income. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (1024 × 768 pixel, file size: 66 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (1024 × 768 pixel, file size: 66 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... The Airbus A320 is a short-to-medium range commercial passenger aircraft manufactured by Airbus. ... Color Air was the first Norwegian low-cost airline, operating from Oslo Airport, Gardermoen between 1998 and 1999. ... Scandinavian Airlines System is a multi-national airline for Denmark, Norway and Sweden, and the leading carrier in the Nordic countries. ... Braathens airline, until 1997 known as Braathens S.A.F.E or Braathens South American and Far East Air Transport A/S merged with the Norwegian part of Scandinavian Airlines to become SAS Braathens in 2004. ... Color Air was the first Norwegian low-cost airline, operating from Oslo Airport, Gardermoen between 1998 and 1999. ... Norwegian Air Shuttle (OSE: NAS) is a Norwegian low-cost airline, with headquarters at Fornebu outside the countrys capital Oslo and its main base at Oslo Airport, Gardermoen. ... The Boeing 737 is the worlds most popular medium range, narrow body airliner. ... County Rogaland District Jæren Municipality NO-1103 Administrative centre Stavanger Mayor (1995-) Leif Johan Sevland (H) Official language form BokmÃ¥l Area  - Total  - Land  - Percentage Ranked 406 71 km² 68 km² 0. ... County Hordaland District Midhordland Municipality NO-1201 Administrative centre Bergen Mayor (2004) Herman Friele (H) Official language form Neutral Area  - Total  - Land  - Percentage Ranked 215 465 km² 445 km² 0. ... County Sør-Trøndelag District Municipality NO-1601 Administrative centre Trondheim Mayor (2005) Rita Ottervik (AP) Official language form Neutral Area  - Total  - Land  - Percentage Ranked 258 342 km² 322 km² 0. ... County District Viken Municipality NO-0301 Administrative centre Oslo Mayor (2004) Per Ditlev-Simonsen (H) Official language form BokmÃ¥l Area  - Total  - Land  - Percentage Ranked 224 454 km² 426 km² 0. ...

Australia's first low cost airline was Compass which launched operations in 1990 but was short lived. In 2000 Impulse and Virgin Blue commenced low cost operations bringing fierce competition to Australian cities. Virgin Blue has become the nation's second largest airline, whilst Qantas purchased Impulse and operated it in a 'wet leasing' arrangement before transforming it into its new low cost carrier Jetstar. Qantas has launched two low cost carriers: JetStar competes with Virgin Blue in the Australian domestic market, while Australian Airlines operated internationally to Asian destinations. In 2006 Qantas began operating the Australian Airlines operation in a 'wet leasing' arrangement which essentially means Australian Airlines crew and aircraft operate services under the Qantas brand. As at 2006, Qantas intends to continue developing a sole low-cost brand around Jetstar which will include international destinations. Compass Airlines operated in Australia for two brief periods in the early 1990s. ... Impulse Airlines was an airline that serviced the eastern seaboard of Australia. ... Virgin Blue is an Australian low-cost airline and Australias second-biggest airline. ... Qantas (pronounced ) is the name and callsign of the national airline of Australia and the worlds oldest continuously running independent airline. ... A wet lease is any leasing arrangement whereby a company agrees to provide an aircraft and at least one pilot to another company. ... Jetstar Airways is a low-cost airline based in Melbourne, Australia. ... Qantas (pronounced ) is the name and callsign of the national airline of Australia and the worlds oldest continuously running independent airline. ... Virgin Blue is an Australian low-cost airline and Australias second-biggest airline. ... Australian Airlines was a full-service airline based in Australia, servicing Australian and Asian destinations between 2001 and 2006. ...

In 1995, Air New Zealand established a low-fare subsidiary, Freedom Air, in response to the commencement of discount trans-tasman services by the upstart Kiwi Airlines. Fierce competition on trans-Tasman routes lead to the collapse of Kiwi Airlines in 1996. Freedom Air continues to provide discount services between Australia and New Zealand. Wholly owned Qantas subsidiary Jetconnect was set up as a low cost New Zealand arm of Qantas, with Jetconnect operating all New Zealand domestic services and several trans tasman services in a 'wet leasing' arrangement, using the Qantas brand. Qantas has also launched trans-Tasman Jetstar flights . This article or section needs additional references or sources to improve its verifiability. ... Freedom Air is Air New Zealand Groups low-cost airline, based in Auckland. ... fuck you Map of the Tasman Sea Satellite photo of the Tasman Sea The Tasman Sea is the large body of water between Australia and New Zealand, some 2000 kilometres (1250 miles) across. ... For the airline operating in the United States with a similar name see Kiwi International Airlines. ... JetConnect is the New Zealand subsidiary of the Australian airline Qantas. ...

On Feb 3, 2003, Air Arabia was established on and started operations on October 29, 2003. Air Arabia can be safely said to be the first budget airline in the Middle East region February 3 is the 34th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Air Arabia A320 Air Arabia is a low-cost airline based in Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates. ...

On May 5, 2004, Singapore's first low-cost carrier, Valuair was launched, prompting dominant carrier Singapore Airlines to invest in a new low-cost startup, Tiger Airways, to beat the competition. Not to be outdone, Singapore Changi Airport's second most dominant carrier, Qantas Airways, also started its Asian offshoot, Jetstar Asia Airways based in Singapore and commencing operations on December 13, 2004. Malaysia's AirAsia made repeated attempts to set up a Singaporean operation, but its insistence in using Seletar Airport, in addition to other demands to cut airport usage charges, delayed its abilities in gaining the relevant permits from the authorities in Singapore. This set-back may block AirAsia's Singapore expansion ambitions. In July 2005, the owners of Jetstar Asia took over Valuair and are merging the two carriers. In contrast with AirAsia, none of the Singaporean low-cost carriers are yet profitable. May 5 is the 125th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (126th in leap years). ... shelby was here 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Valuair Limited (Chinese: 惠旅航空; Thai: แวลูแอร์) is a Singapore-based budget airline. ... Singapore Airlines Limited (Abbreviation: SIA; Malay: , Tamil: , Chinese: ; Pinyin: ; abbreviated 新航) (Japanese: ) (SGX: S55) is the national airline of Singapore. ... Tiger Airways Private Limited is a low-cost airline based in Singapore, with its primary hub at Singapore Changi Airport. ... Singapore Changi Airport (Chinese: ; Pinyin: ), or simply Changi Airport (IATA: SIN, ICAO: WSSS) is a major aviation hub in Asia, particularly in the Southeast Asian region, and is the main airport in Singapore. ... Qantas is Australias oldest and largest airline, and the worlds second oldest airline (after KLM). ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Jetstar_Airways. ... December 13 is the 347th day of the year (348th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... shelby was here 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... AirAsia is a low-cost airline based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. ... Seletar Airport (Chinese: 实里达机场 (IATA code: XSP; ICAO code: WSSL)) in Singapore was the islands first international airport and was completed in 1929. ...

A Skybus Airlines, Airbus A319 displaying a full-body Nationwide Insurance advertisement.

As the number of low-cost carriers has grown, these airlines have begun to compete with one another in addition to the traditional carriers. In the US, airlines have responded by introducing variations to the model. US Airways offers a first class product and airport lounges, for example, while Frontier Airlines and JetBlue Airways advertises satellite television. Advertiser-supported Skybus Airlines will launch from Columbus in 2007. In Europe, the emphasis has remained on reducing costs and no-frills service. In 2004, Ryanair announced proposals to eliminate reclining seats, window blinds, seat headrest covers, and seat pockets from its aircraft.[1] Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 534 pixel Image in higher resolution (1024 × 683 pixel, file size: 269 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Information: Photograph of aircraft N522VA, leased from Virgin America by Skybus Airlines. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 534 pixel Image in higher resolution (1024 × 683 pixel, file size: 269 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Information: Photograph of aircraft N522VA, leased from Virgin America by Skybus Airlines. ... Skybus Airlines is a privately held airline based in Columbus, Ohio, USA. It is an ultra-low-cost carrier, modeled after the European airline Ryanair. ... The Airbus A320 is a short to medium range commercial passenger aircraft manufactured by Airbus. ... US Airways is an American low-cost airline headquartered in Tempe, Arizona, owned by US Airways Group, Inc. ... For the similar named Frontier Flying Service see Frontier Flying Service. ... JetBlue Airways is an American low-cost airline owned by JetBlue Airways Corporation (NASDAQ: JBLU). ... Skybus Airlines is a privately held airline based in Columbus, Ohio, USA. It is an ultra-low-cost carrier, modeled after the European airline Ryanair. ...

Some elements of the low-cost model have been subject of criticism by Governments and Regulators, and in the UK in particular the issue of "Unbundling" of ancillary charges by both low-cost carriers and other airlines (showing airport fees, taxes as separate charges rather than as part of the advertised fare) to make the "headline fare" appear lower has resulted in enforcement action. Believing that this amounts to a misleading approach to pricing, the Office of Fare Trading in February 2007 gave all carriers and travel companies three months to include all fixed non-optional costs in their basic advertised prices. Although the full service carriers had complied within the specificed timescales, the low-cost carriers have been less successful in this respect, leading to the prospect of legal action[2] by the OFT.

No-frills long-haul flights

Boeing 737-300 of the Russian low-cost airline SkyExpress in Vnukovo Airport, Moscow.

The first airline offering no-frills transatlantic service was Freddie Laker's Laker Airways, which operated its famous "Skytrain" service between London and New York City during the late 1970s. The service was suspended after Laker's competitors, British Airways and Pan Am, were able to price Skytrain out of the market. Sky Express is a Russian low-cost airline focusing on internal flights. ... Vnukovo Airport (Russian: ) (IATA: VKO, ICAO: UUWW), located 28 km away from the center of Moscow (although still being part of the municipality of Moscow), was the first international airport in the Moscow region. ... Position of Moscow in Europe Coordinates: , Country District Subdivision Russia Central Federal District Federal City Government  - Mayor Yuriy Luzhkov Area  - City 1,081 km²  (417. ... Freddie Laker Sir Frederick Alfred Laker (6 August 1922 – 9 February 2006), was a British airline entrepreneur, best known for founding Laker Airways in 1966, which went spectacularly bust in 1982. ... Laker Airways was a wholly privately owned, Independent British airline founded by the late Sir Freddie Laker in 1966. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... For the 1930s airline of similar name, see British Airways Ltd. ... Pan American World Airways, commonly known as Pan Am, was the principal international airline of the United States from the 1930s until its collapse in 1991. ...

In 2004 the Irish company Aer Lingus lowered its prices to compete with companies such as Ryanair and also started offering no-frills transatlantic flights for just above €100. Late in 2004 the Canadian airline Zoom Airlines also started selling transatlantic flights between Glasgow, UK; Manchester, UK; and Canada for £89. Aer Lingus is the national airline of Ireland. ... Ryanair (ISEQ: RYA, LSE: RYA, NASDAQ: RYAAY) is an Irish airline headquartered in Dublin. ... Transatlantic flight is any flight of an aircraft, whether fixed-wing aircraft, balloon or other device, which involves crossing the Atlantic Ocean -- with a starting point in North America or South America and ending in Europe or Africa, or vice versa. ... Zoom Airlines is a Canadian scheduled airline based in Ottawa, Ontario. ...

It has been suggested that the Airbus A380, able to hold up to 853 passengers in an all Economy layout [3], would enable true low-cost long-haul service. While the per-seat costs of such an aircraft would be lower than the competition, there are fewer cost savings possible in a long-haul operation and therefore a long-haul low-cost operator would find it harder to differentiate itself from a conventional airline. In particular, low-cost carriers typically fly their aircraft for more hours and flights each day, scheduling the first departure early in the morning and the last arrival late at night. However, long-haul aircraft scheduling is more determined by timezone constraints (e.g. leaving the US East Coast in the evening and arriving in Europe the following morning), and the longer flight times mean there is less scope to increase aircraft utilization by adding one or two more short flights each day. Airbus S.A.S. is the aircraft manufacturing subsidiary of EADS N.V., a pan-European aerospace concern. ... The Airbus A380 manufactured by Airbus S.A.S. is a double-decker, four engined airliner capable of flying 800 passengers in a high density format or 555 passengers in a typical three-class configuration. ...

The industry magazine Airline Business recently analysed the potential for low-cost long-haul service [4] and concluded that a number of Asian carriers are closest to making such a model work. One such airline is Air Asia.

In August 2006, Zoom Airlines announced that it was to establish a UK subsidiary, probably based at Gatwick Airport, to offer low-cost long-haul flights to the USA and India. Zoom Airlines is a Canadian scheduled airline based in Ottawa, Ontario. ... Gatwick Airport (IATA Airport Code: LGW, ICAO Airport Code: EGKK) is Londons second airport and the second largest airport in the UK after Heathrow. ...

On 26 October 2006, Oasis Hong Kong Airlines started flying from Hong Kong to London Gatwick Airport. It was supposed to fly on 25 October but was delayed for one day because Russia suspended fly-over rights for that flight an hour before the flight's scheduled departure. Tickets for flights between Hong Kong to London can be as low at £75 (approximately US$150) per leg (not including taxes and other charges) for economy class and £470 (approximately US$940) per leg for business class for the same route. Its next planned destination is to Vancouver, a major city in Canada, which will commence on 28th June, 2007. Oasis Hong Kong Airlines, (Traditional Chinese: ), established in February 2005, is a Low-fare long haul carrier airline based in Hong Kong, with its hub at Hong Kong International Airport. ... Gatwick Airport (IATA: LGW, ICAO: EGKK) is Londons second largest airport and the second busiest airport in the UK after Heathrow. ... Vancouver (pronounced: ) is a city located in southwestern British Columbia, Canada. ... (Redirected from 28th June) This article is in need of attention. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ...

Low-cost business only carriers

A recent trend is the formation of new low-cost carriers exclusively targeting the long-haul business market, with aircraft configured for a single class of service, initially on transatlantic routings. Probably best described as "less frills" rather than "no frills", the initial entrants in this market, including EOS, MaxJet, and SilverJet are using mid-sized twin jets such as Boeing 757 and Boeing 767 to service the lucrative London - US Eastern Seaboard market. The "less frills" approach means that instead of the increasing trend to fully flat seats for overnight comfort, they utilise business class seats which were popular a decade or so ago. These offer a tighter seat pitch, and allow them to fit more passengers on the aircraft. The Boeing 757 is an American medium to long haul commercial passenger aircraft manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. ... American Airlines Boeing 767-300 at Gatwick Airport, England. ...

See also

• List of airlines
  
• List of low-cost airlines
• Travel search

This is a list of airlines in operation (by continents and country). ... . ... Travel search engines focus specifically on helping visitors purchase travel products, such as airline tickets, automobile rentals, hotel rooms, cruise tickets, and so on. ...

External links

• Low-Cost Carriers - Europe - Research and information on European low-cost carriers
• Budget Bonanza - A flotilla of low-cost airlines is redrawing the economic map of Europe. Article from Newsweek.