A Ryanair Boeing 737-800

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. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout No-frills or no frills is a term used to describe any service or product for which the non-essential features have been removed Discounts and allowances are reductions to a basic Price of goods or services An airline provides air transport services for Passengers or Freight, generally with a recognized operating certificate or license 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 United States of America —commonly referred to as the The term originated within the airline industry referring to airlines with a lower operating cost structure than their competitors. While the term is often applied to any carrier with low ticket prices and limited services, regardless of their operating models, low-cost carriers should not be confused with regional airlines that operate short flights without service, or with full-service airlines offering some reduced fares.

Business model

Typical low-cost carrier business model practices often (but not always) include:

• a single passenger class
• a single type of aeroplane (commonly the Airbus A320 or Boeing 737), reducing training and servicing costs
• a minimum set of optional equipment on the aeroplane, often excluding modern conveniences such as ACARS, further reducing costs of acquisition and maintenance
• 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^[1] 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)
• encourage the use of direct flights. A business model is a term used for a broad range of informal and formal descriptions that are used by enterprises to represent various aspects of its business including its purpose offerings Overview Fixed-wing aircraft range from small training and recreational aircraft to Wide-body aircraft and military cargo aircraft. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System (or ACARS) is a digital Datalink system for transmission of small messages between Aircraft and An airport is a location where Aircraft such as airplanes, Helicopters and blimps take off and land Luggage is not automatically transferred from one flight to another, even if both flights are with the same company.
• generation of ancillary revenue from a variety of activities, such as a la carte features and commission-based products
• emphasis on direct sales of tickets, especially over the Internet (avoiding fees and commissions paid to travel agents and computer reservations systems)
• employees working in multiple roles, for instance flight attendants also cleaning the aircraft or working as gate agents (limiting personnel costs)
• a disinclination to handle Special Service passengers, for instance by placing a higher age limit on unaccompanied minors than full service carriers
• Aggressive fuel hedging programs

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). Airline revenue from non-ticket sources which is called ancillary revenue, has become an important financial component for Low-cost carriers (LCCs in Europe and is A computer reservations system ( CRS) is a Computerized system used to store and retrieve information and conduct transactions related to Air travel. Fuel Hedging is a Contractual tool used by some Airlines to stabilize Jet fuel costs

The price policy of the low cost carriers is usually very dynamic, with discounts and tickets in promotion. Even if the advertised price may be very low, sometimes it does not include charges & taxes.

History

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

The first successful low-cost carrier was Pacific Southwest Airlines in the United States, which pioneered the concept in 1949. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout EasyJet Airline Company Limited, styled as easyJet, is a low cost airline based at London Luton Airport. Bristol International Airport is the commercial Airport serving the city of Bristol, England and the surrounding area England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Pacific Southwest Airlines was an Airline headquartered in San Diego California. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Year 1949 ( MCMXLIX) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. ^[2] Often, this credit has been incorrectly given to Southwest Airlines which began service in 1971 and has been profitable every year since 1973^[3]. Southwest Airlines Co ( is an American low-cost Airline based in Dallas Texas, with its largest focus city at Las Vegas ' McCarran 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 1990, and easyJet, formed in 1995. Deregulation, a term which gained widespread currency in the period 1970-2000 can be seen as a process by which governments remove reduce or simplify Restrictions on Business Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world Ryanair (,) is an Irish Airline with headquarters in Dublin and its biggest operational base at London Stansted Airport in the UK EasyJet Airline Company Limited, styled as easyJet, is a low cost airline based at London Luton Airport. Low cost carriers developed in Asia and Oceania from 2000 led by operators such as Malaysia's AirAsia, India's Air Deccan and Australia's Virgin Blue. For the biogeographical region see Malesia Malaysia (məˈleɪʒə or /məˈleɪziə/ is a country that consists of thirteen states and AirAsia Berhad ( is a low-cost airline based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. Virgin Blue is an Australian Low-cost airline, Australia's second-biggest Airline as well as the largest airline (by fleet size with the Virgin branding 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. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, KSA ( المملكة العربية السعودية, al-Mamlaka al-ʻArabiyya as-Suʻūdiyya) or Suudi The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America.

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. Terrorism is the systematic use of terror especially as a means of coercion War is an international relations Dispute, characterized by organized Violence between National Military units

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. KLM Royal Dutch Airlines ( Dutch: Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij, literally Royal Aviation Company; usual English translation buzz was a Low-cost airline based at London Stansted operating services within Europe. British Airways plc ( is the national Airline and Flag carrier of the United Kingdom and one of the largest in Europe Go Fly was the name of an award-winning British Airline, trading as "Go" which was purchased by EasyJet in May 2002 for the equivalent of $545 Air India Limited ( एअर इंडिया) is the national Airline of India with a worldwide network of passenger and cargo services Air-India Express ( एअर इंडिया एक्स्प्रेस) is a low-cost airline subsidiary of Air India based in Mumbai United Air Lines Inc, trading as United Airlines ( is a major airline of the United States. Ted is one of two Airline divisional brands of United Airlines. 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. British Midland Airways Limited or BMI, styled as bmi (the company's trademark formerly operated as British Midland) is a scheduled Airline Bmibaby is a British Low-cost airline and a subsidiary of British Midland PLC. Germanwings is a low-cost airline based in Cologne, Germany. It operates services to over 66 destinations in Europe. Qantas Airways Limited (ˈkwɔntəs ( is the National airline of Australia. 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. The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in Eastern Europe is a general term that refers to the Geopolitical region encompassing the easternmost part of the European continent. Open skies refers to a bilateral (and sometimes Multilateral) Air Transport Agreement which liberalizes the rules for international This has led to the establishment of low-cost routes by existing and new operators (such as Hungary-based Wizz Air, which took its first flight on May 19, 2004 and Slovakia-based SkyEurope, which took its first flight on February 13, 2002). Wizz Air is a Hungarian low-cost airline with headquarters in Vecsés, Hungary Events 1535 - French explorer Jacques Cartier sets sail on his second voyage to North America with three ships 110 men and "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " SkyEurope Airlines is a Low-cost airline headquartered in Bratislava, with its main base at M Events 1258 - Baghdad falls to the Mongols, and the Abbasid Caliphate is destroyed See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. From 2004 to 2007 routes have been established into Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Slovenia, Slovakia, Poland, Romania, Hungary, Czech Republic, Turkey and Israel. Austria (Österreich ( officially the Republic of Austria (Republik Österreich The state of Bulgaria (България transliterated bg-Latn ''Balgaria'' The country preserves the traditions (in ethnic name language and alphabet of the First Bulgarian Croatia (Hrvatska ˈxȓvatska officially the Republic of Croatia ( Republika Hrvatska) is a southern Central European country at the crossroads between Slovenia, officially the Republic of Slovenia (Republika Slovenija) is a Country in southern Central Europe bordering Italy to the west Slovakia (long form Slovak Republic; Slovak:, long form, is a Landlocked country in Central Europe with a population of over five million Poland (Polska officially the Republic of Poland Romania ( dated: Rumania, Roumania Hungary (Magyarország 'mɔɟɔrorsaːg) officially in English the Republic of Hungary ( Magyar Köztársaság, literally Magyar (Hungarian Republic The Czech Republic ( ˈt͡ʃɛskaː ˈrɛpuˌblɪka short form in Česko ˈt͡ʃɛskɔ also called Czechia, Turkey (Türkiye known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( is a Eurasian Country that stretches For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. By the end of 2007, there were over 45 low-cost carriers operating almost 3,500 routes around Europe.

Brazil

In Brazil, Gol Transportes Aéreos began operating on January 15, 2001. |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld Gol Transportes Aéreos is a an airline based in São Paulo, Brazil. WebJet followed in 2006.

Canada

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. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page Air Canada () is Canada 's largest Airline and Flag carrier. The airline founded in 1937 has had its corporate headquarters in Montreal WestJet Airlines Ltd ( is a Canadian Low-cost carrier based in Calgary Alberta, that flies to most major cities in Canada and serves destinations CanJet Airlines is a low-cost chartered airline based in Enfield, Nova Scotia, Canada at the Halifax International Airport in Jetsgo Corporation was a Canadian Low-cost carrier based in Montreal, which served 19 destinations across Canada, 10 destinations in the Air Canada () is Canada 's largest Airline and Flag carrier. The airline founded in 1937 has had its corporate headquarters in Montreal Bankruptcy is a legally declared inability or impairment of ability of an individual or organization to pay their Creditors Creditors may file a bankruptcy petition against Air Canada operated two low-fare subsidiaries, Tango and Zip, but both were discontinued. Air Canada Tango was a discount airline launched by Air Canada in 2001 to offer No-frills service on some of Air Canada's routes and to reduce Zip was a Canadian discount airline based in Calgary, Alberta, launched by Air Canada (Jetsgo itself ceased operations on March 11, 2005 and Canjet discontinued scheduled air services on September 10, 2006. Events 1425 BC - Thutmose III, Pharaoh of Egypt, dies (according to the Low Chronology of the 18th Dynasty Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 506 - The Bishops of Visigothic Gaul meet in the Council of Agde. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. )

Today Westjet and Zoom Airlines are the primary low-cost airlines in Canada. WestJet Airlines Ltd ( is a Canadian Low-cost carrier based in Calgary Alberta, that flies to most major cities in Canada and serves destinations Zoom Airlines Inc was a Canadian low-fare scheduled Transatlantic airline based in Ottawa, Ontario. Over time Air Canada as started to offer Tango fares that offer low-cost carrier services while still offer legacy carrier type service on other fair basis.

India

India's first low-cost airline, Air Deccan started service on August 25, 2003. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country Events 1248 - The Dutch city of Ommen receives city rights and fortification rights from Otto III the Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. 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. Delhi (दिल्ली ਦਿੱਲੀ دلی d̪ɪlːiː sometimes referred to as Dilli) is the second largest metropolis of India, with a population Bangalore ( officially Bengaluru ( Kannada: ಬೆಂಗಳೂರು) is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Indian Airlines or Indian ( Hindi: इंडियन एयरलाइंस or इंडियन was an airline based in Delhi India and focused primarily Jet Airways is an Airline based in Mumbai, India. It is the country's second-largest international airline after Air India and the largest 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 Jetlite, SpiceJet, GoAir and Paramount Airways. SpiceJet is a Low-cost airline based in New Delhi, India. It began service in May 2005 and by 2008 it was India's second-largest low-cost Not to be confused with go!, the Hawaiian airline GoAir is a low-cost airline based in Mumbai, India. Paramount Airways is an Airline based in Madurai, India. It operates scheduled services mainly targeting business travellers IndiGo Airlines recently placed an order for 100 Airbus A320s worth 6 billion USD during the Paris Air Show, the highest by any India domestic carrier. Indigo Airlines is generally regarded as the world's first Business jet Airline. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been The Paris Air Show ( Salon International de l'Aéronautique et de l'Espace Paris-Le Bourget) is an international trade fair for the aerospace business After a year of operation, in 2006, Kingfisher Airlines changed its business model from low-cost to value airlines. Kingfisher Airlines is an Airline based in Bangalore, India. It operates 218 flights a day and has a network of 38 destinations with regional and

Finland

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. Finland, officially the Republic of Finland ( is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of northern Europe. Finnair Plc is Finland 's largest Airline and the Flag carrier, with its headquarters in Vantaa, Finland and its main hub at Helsinki-Vantaa Flying Finn Airways was a low cost airline, based at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport, Finland. Three months after Flying Finn's bankruptcy, SAS's regional wing Blue1 began flights to three of Flying Finn's most profitable destinations. Scandinavian Airlines System ( SAS) is a multi-national Airline for Denmark, Norway and Sweden, and the leading carrier in the Blue1 Oy is an Airline based in Helsinki, Finland. It is a Regional airline feeding into the Scandinavian Airlines System

Airbus A320-200 of Hungarian low cost carrier Wizz Air takes off from London Luton Airport, England

Norway

In Norway the first low cost carrier was ColorAir in 1998. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Hungary (Magyarország 'mɔɟɔrorsaːg) officially in English the Republic of Hungary ( Magyar Köztársaság, literally Magyar (Hungarian Republic Wizz Air is a Hungarian low-cost airline with headquarters in Vecsés, Hungary London Luton Airport (previously called Luton International Airport) is an International airport located on the edge of the Town of Luton England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional Color Air was the first Norwegian Low-cost airline, operating from Gardermoen Airport Oslo in 1998 and 1999 Their low prices were matched by competitors SAS and Braathens, and Color Air folded in 1999. Scandinavian Airlines System ( SAS) is a multi-national Airline for Denmark, Norway and Sweden, and the leading carrier in the Braathens Airline, until 1997 known as Braathens SAFE or Braathens South American and Far East Air Transport A/S, merged with the Norwegian Color Air was the first Norwegian Low-cost airline, operating from Gardermoen Airport Oslo in 1998 and 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. Norwegian Air Shuttle ( is a Norwegian low-cost airline, with headquarters at Fornebu outside Oslo and its main base at Oslo Airport WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout 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. is a city and municipality in the county of Rogaland, Norway. is the second largest city in Norway. It is located on the south-western coast of Norway in the county of Hordaland in between a group of mountains known as De syv fjell (Trondhjem is a city and municipality in the county of Sør-Trøndelag, Norway. (called Christiania from 1624 to 1878 and Kristiania from 1878 to 1924 is the Capital and largest city of Norway. 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.

Australia

Australia's first low cost airline was Compass which launched operations in 1990 but was short lived. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. Compass Airlines operated in Australia for two brief periods in the early 1990s In 2000 Impulse and Virgin Blue commenced low cost operations bringing fierce competition to Australian cities. Impulse Airlines was an independent Airline in Australia which operated regional and low cost trunk services between 1994 and 2001 Virgin Blue is an Australian Low-cost airline, Australia's second-biggest Airline as well as the largest airline (by fleet size with the Virgin branding 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 Airways Limited (ˈkwɔntəs ( is the National airline of Australia. A wet lease is a leasing arrangement whereby one Airline (lessor provides an aircraft complete crew maintenance and insurance (ACMI to another airline (lessee Jetstar Airways is a low-cost airline based in Melbourne, Australia. 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. Qantas Airways Limited (ˈkwɔntəs ( is the National airline of Australia. Virgin Blue is an Australian Low-cost airline, Australia's second-biggest Airline as well as the largest airline (by fleet size with the Virgin branding Australian Airlines was a full-service Airline based in Australia, servicing Australian and Asian destinations between 2001 and 2006 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.

In early 2007, Singapore low-cost carrier Tiger Airways announced their intention to form a subsidiary airline in Australia. Singapore Tiger Airways Private Limited is a Low-cost airline based in Singapore, with its primary hub at Singapore Changi Airport. Tiger Airways Australia began operations out of Melbourne Airport in November 2007, and have, in the short time since, grown a network that spans every state and territory in the country. Tiger Airways Australia Pty Ltd is a low cost airline which commenced services in the Australian domestic airline market on 23 November 2007 Melbourne Airport, also known as Tullamarine Airport, is the busiest of the four airports in Melbourne, and the second busiest in Australia November 2007 is the eleventh month of that year It began on a Thursday and 30 days later ended on a Friday

New Zealand

In 1995, Air New Zealand established a low-fare subsidiary, Freedom Air, in response to the commencement of discount trans-tasman services by Kiwi Airlines. Air New Zealand Limited (, Air New Zealand is a scheduled passenger Airline based in Auckland, New Zealand, and the national Flag carrier Freedom Air was Air New Zealand Group's low-cost airline which operated from December 1995 to March 2008 The Tasman Sea is the large body of water between Australia and New Zealand, some 2000 Kilometres (1250 Miles across Kiwi Travel International Airlines was a New Zealand based Airline which pioneered discount flights between secondary airports in Australia and New Zealand Fierce competition on trans-Tasman routes led to the collapse of Kiwi Airlines in 1996. Freedom Air continues to provide discount services between Australia and New Zealand. New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island 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. Jetconnect is an Airline based in Auckland, New Zealand. It is a subsidiary company of Qantas. Qantas has also launched trans-Tasman Jetstar flights .

Middle East

Air Arabia was established on Feb 3, 2003 and started operations on October 29, 2003. Air Arabia is a low-cost airline based in Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates. Events 1112 - Ramon Berenguer III of Barcelona and Douce I of Provence marry uniting the fortunes of those two states Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 437 - Valentinian III, Western Roman Emperor, marries Licinia Eudoxia, daughter of his cousin Theodosius II Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. Jazeera Airways of Kuwait also decided to launch a low cost carrier in October 30, 2005. Jazeera Airways (طيران الجزيرة is a low-fare airline based in Kuwait. Events 637 - Antioch surrenders to the Muslim forces under Rashidun Caliphate after the Battle of Iron bridge. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Saudi Arabia also launched two low frills carrier by the name of Nas Air and Sama Airlines in 2007. Nas Air (Arabic طيران ناس is a subsidiary of the Saudi National Air Services (NAS that is based in Riyadh. Sama LelTayaran Company Limited, operating as Sama is a low-cost airline based at King Fahad International Airport, Dammam, Saudi Arabia Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. The Kingdom of Bahrain has launched a low cost carrier with the name of Bahrain Air in January 2008. Bahrain Air (طيران البحرين is the second Flag carrier of the Kingdom of Bahrain, and its main base is Bahrain International Airport.

Malaysia and Singapore

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. Events 553 - The Second Council of Constantinople begins 1215 - Rebel Barons renounce their allegiance to King John "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " Valuair Limited ( Chinese: 惠旅航空 is a Singapore -based low-cost carrier. Singapore Airlines Limited ( SIA) ( abbreviated zh 新航 Syarikat Penerbangan Singapura சிங்கப்பூர் ஏர்லைன்ஸ் ( is the Tiger Airways Private Limited is a Low-cost airline based in Singapore, with its primary hub at Singapore Changi Airport. 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. Qantas Airways Limited (ˈkwɔntəs ( is the National airline of Australia. Jetstar Asia Airways Private Limited ( Chinese: 捷星亚洲航空公司 Thai: เจ็ทสตาร์เอเชีย operating as Jetstar Asia Singapore Events 1294 - Saint Celestine V abdicates the papacy after only five months Celestine hoped to return to his previous life "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " 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. For the biogeographical region see Malesia Malaysia (məˈleɪʒə or /məˈleɪziə/ is a country that consists of thirteen states and AirAsia Berhad ( is a low-cost airline based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 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. Jetstar Asia Airways Private Limited ( Chinese: 捷星亚洲航空公司 Thai: เจ็ทสตาร์เอเชีย operating as Jetstar Asia Tiger Airways is now profitable while Jetstar Asia remains in the red. Tiger Airways Private Limited is a Low-cost airline based in Singapore, with its primary hub at Singapore Changi Airport. Jetstar Asia Airways Private Limited ( Chinese: 捷星亚洲航空公司 Thai: เจ็ทสตาร์เอเชีย operating as Jetstar Asia

A Skybus Airlines Airbus A319 displaying a Nationwide Insurance advertisement. Skybus Airlines Inc was a privately-held Airline based in Columbus, Ohio, USA. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout

Japan

Japan has seen a few attempts at LCC, for example Hokkaido-based Air Do which flew between Sapporo and Tokyo from 1998, but was acquired by ANA in 2000. also known as is a Japanese Low-cost airline. Based in Sapporo, Hokkaidō, it operates between Tokyo and cities in Hokkaidō Viva Macau and JetStar fly from Narita, Osaka and Nagoya. Viva Macau is a budget airline covering both regional and long-haul routes Until recently Qantas and Jetstar did not share any routes to avoid internal competition Korean Air have announced they are to create an LCC that will connect Seoul and Japan starting May 2008. Korean Air Lines Co Ltd ( Operating as Korean Air, is the national and largest Airline of South Korea; its global headquarters ANA has announced the creation of an LCC by 2009. [1]

Russia

Sky Express is the first Russian low-cost airline focusing on internal flights. CJSC Sky Express ( ЗАО «Небесный Экспресс») also known in Russian as Скай Экспресс, is the first and only Russian Its main base is Vnukovo International Airport. The airline was established in March 2006 by a consortium of investors which included KrasAir CEO Boris Abramovich, EBRD, Altima Partners and others, becoming the Russia's first low-cost airline. The first flight took off on 29 January 2007 from Moscow to Sochi.

United States

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. Major carrier or more semantically correct major airline carrier is a designation given by the United States Department of Transportation to U

Traditional perceptions of the "low-cost carrier" as a stripped-down, no-frills airline, as seen on Southwest Airlines, have been changing as new entrants to the market adapt the business model in new ways. Southwest Airlines Co ( is an American low-cost Airline based in Dallas Texas, with its largest focus city at Las Vegas ' McCarran AirTran Airways, US Airways and Spirit Airlines offer a premium cabin (as did America West Airlines), while Frontier and jetBlue offer live in-flight television, sometimes for an extra fee. AirTran Airways is a low-cost Airline that is a Delaware corporation with headquarters in Orlando, Florida, USA and US Airways Inc is the fifth largest Airline in the United States. Spirit Airlines is a United States ultra- Low-cost airline operating scheduled flights throughout the Americas America West Airlines was one of the United States ' ten major Airlines The airline was based in Phoenix Arizona, and is now a part of US Airways Group Frontier Airlines Inc is a low-cost Airline based at Denver International Airport in Denver Colorado, USA. AirTran has XM Satellite Radio available at every seat. Frontier, JetBlue, US Airways and AirTran all use assigned seating. Some airlines even have services not available on some legacy carriers, such as mood lighting, found in Virgin America. Virgin America is a US based Low-cost airline that began service on August 8, 2007.

US Airways

In 2005, low-cost carrier America West Airlines was purchased by US Airways, then the nation's seventh largest legacy carrier. America West Airlines was one of the United States ' ten major Airlines The airline was based in Phoenix Arizona, and is now a part of US Airways Group US Airways Inc is the fifth largest Airline in the United States. ^[4] The merged carrier assumed the US Airways name, with the stated goal of displacing Southwest as the nation's largest low-cost carrier. Before the merger, US Airways had substantially reduced its costs through a pair of bankruptcies. In the months after the merger was consummated, former America West pricing structures were rolled out across the former US Airways route network, and operating certificates were merged in 2007. However, full integration of the two carriers has been delayed by management's inability to get former AWA pilots and former US pilots to agree on a unified labor contract.

Criticism

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. US Airways Inc is the fifth largest Airline in the United States. Frontier Airlines Inc is a low-cost Airline based at Denver International Airport in Denver Colorado, USA. Advertiser-supported Skybus Airlines launched from Columbus in 2007, but ceased operations in April, 2008. Skybus Airlines Inc was a privately-held Airline based in Columbus, Ohio, USA. 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. [2]

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 Fair Trading (OFT) in February 2007 gave all carriers and travel companies three months to include all fixed non-optional costs in their basic advertised prices. The Office of Fair Trading ( OFT) is a Non-ministerial government department of the United Kingdom, established by the Fair Trading Act 1973, 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[3] by the OFT.

No-frills long-haul flights

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. Sir Frederick Alfred Laker ( 6 August, 1922 &ndash 9 February, 2006) was a British Airline Entrepreneur, best Laker Airways was a privately owned British airline founded by Sir Freddie Laker in 1966 London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. The City of New York The service was suspended after Laker's competitors, British Airways and Pan Am, were able to price Skytrain out of the market. British Airways plc ( is the national Airline and Flag carrier of the United Kingdom and one of the largest in Europe

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. Aer Lingus is the Flag carrier airline of Ireland. Based at Dublin Airport, it operates 41 Airbus aircraft serving Europe Africa and North Ryanair (,) is an Irish Airline with headquarters in Dublin and its biggest operational base at London Stansted Airport in the UK Transatlantic flight is the flight of an Aircraft, whether Fixed-wing aircraft, Balloon or other device which involves crossing the Atlantic Ocean Late in 2004 the Canadian airline Zoom Airlines also started selling transatlantic flights between Glasgow, UK; Manchester, UK; and Canada for £89. Zoom Airlines Inc was a Canadian low-fare scheduled Transatlantic 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 [4], would enable true low-cost long-haul service. Airbus SAS (ˈɛərbʌs in English, Airbus2ogg|/ɛʁbys/]] in French, and /ˈɛːɐbʊs/ in German) is an aircraft manufacturing WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout 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.

In April 2006, the industry magazine Airline Business analysed the potential for low-cost long-haul service [5] and concluded that a number of Asian carriers, including AirAsia, were closest to making such a model work. AirAsia Berhad ( is a low-cost airline based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. On November 2, 2007, AirAsia X, a subsidiary of AirAsia and Virgin Group flew its inaugural flight from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to Gold Coast, Australia. Events 1570 - A Tidal wave in the North Sea devastates the coast from Holland to Jutland, killing more than 1000 Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. AirAsia X, is a new long haul budget airline operated by AirAsia X Sdn AirAsia Berhad ( is a low-cost airline based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Virgin Group Ltd is a branded Venture capital conglomerate of separately run companies that each use the Virgin brand of British business tycoon Kuala Lumpur (ˈkwɑːləlʊmˈpʊər Malay /kwɑlɑlʊmpʊ/ and locally /kwɑləlʊmpɔ/ or even /kɔlɔmpɔ/ or often abbreviated as K For the biogeographical region see Malesia Malaysia (məˈleɪʒə or /məˈleɪziə/ is a country that consists of thirteen states and For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. AirAsia X claims that it is the first true low-cost long-haul carrier since the end of Sir Freddie Laker era.

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 Inc was a Canadian low-fare scheduled Transatlantic airline based in Ottawa, Ontario. Gatwick Airport is London 's second largest Airport and the second busiest airport in the United Kingdom after Heathrow. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country

On 26 October 2006, Oasis Hong Kong Airlines started flying from Hong Kong to London Gatwick Airport (delayed by one day because Russia suspended fly-over rights for that flight an hour before the flight's scheduled departure). Gatwick Airport is London 's second largest Airport and the second busiest airport in the United Kingdom after Heathrow. 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. From 28th June 2007, a second long-haul service has operated to Vancouver, British Columbia. Events 1098 - Fighters of the First Crusade defeat Kerbogha of Mosul. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Vancouver (vænˈkuːvɚ is a coastal British Columbia (ˌbrɪtɨʃ kəˈlʌmbiə ( BC) ( (la Colombie-Britannique C The company stops its flights from 9 April 2008, after over 1 billions HKD of losses. Events 193 - Septimius Severus is proclaimed Roman Emperor by the army in Illyricum (in the Balkans) 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common

Australia's Jetstar has operated International since 2005, when they began service to Christchurch, New Zealand. Jetstar Airways is a low-cost airline based in Melbourne, Australia. Christchurch (Ōtautahi The largest City in the South Island, it is also the second largest city and third largest urban area of New Zealand New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island In late 2006, more international services began. Departing from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, they fly to popular tourist destinations within 10 hours of Australia such as Honolulu International Airport, Japan, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia and more. Sydney (ˈsɪdniː is the most populous city in Australia, with a Metropolitan area population of approximately 4 Melbourne ( is the second most populous city in Australia, with a Metropolitan area population of approximately 3 Brisbane ( is the state capital of Queensland. Brisbane is the third most populous city in Australia and the most populous city of Queensland Honolulu International Airport is the principal aviation gateway of the City & County of Honolulu and the State of Hawaii and is identified as one of the busiest For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. Vietnam (ˌviːɛtˈnɑːm Việt Nam) officially The Kingdom of Thailand (ˈtaɪlænd ราชอาณาจักรไทย, râːtɕʰa-ʔaːnaːtɕɑ̀k-tʰɑj For the biogeographical region see Malesia Malaysia (məˈleɪʒə or /məˈleɪziə/ is a country that consists of thirteen states and With the delivery of new planes, they hope to fly to the continental US and Europe.

Low-cost business only carriers

A trend from the mid-2000s was 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 utilised second-hand, mid-sized, twin jets such as Boeing 757 and Boeing 767 in an attempt to service the lucrative London - US Eastern Seaboard market:

• Eos Airlines, which ceased operating on 27 April 2008^[5]
• Maxjet, which has ceased its scheduled business flights, but is planning to restart as a luxury charter carrier^[6]
• Silverjet, which ceased^[7][8] operations on 30 May 2008

See also

• List of low-cost airlines
• List of airlines
• Ancillary revenue

References

• Gross, S. /Schroeder, A. (Eds. ): Handbook of Low Cost Airlines - Strategies, Business Processes and Market Environment, Berlin 2007
• Low-cost airlines making their way to Japan. Japan News Review (2007-12-18). Japan News Review is an English-language online news site that collects news pieces related to Japan. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 218 BC - Second Punic War: Battle of the Trebia - Hannibal 's Carthaginian forces defeat those of the Retrieved on 2007-12-18. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 218 BC - Second Punic War: Battle of the Trebia - Hannibal 's Carthaginian forces defeat those of the

External links

• Information about discount airlines and cheap air travel at Wikitravel
• Low-Cost Carriers - Europe - Research and information on European low-cost carriers
• Low Cost Airline News - Research and information on Asia Pacific low-cost carriers
• Budget Bonanza - A flotilla of low-cost airlines is redrawing the economic map of Europe. Wikitravel is a Web -based project "to create a free, complete up-to-date and reliable worldwide travel guide. Newsweek. Newsweek is an American weekly Newsmagazine published in New York City.
• Losing Altitude - Newsweek article describing a decline of low-cost carriers in North America in 1997