A new study by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has outlined the benefits of low-cost flying, but revealed that the socio-economic profile of air passengers has not changed.
The report, entitled “No-frills carriers: Revolution or Evolution?”, demonstrates that low-fare carriers have greatly improved the choice of airlines, airports and destinations on offer for passengers.
Ryanair, easyJet, bmibaby and others have “revolutionised the short-haul airline market”, the CAA claims, with the no-frills sector responsible for carrying almost half of the short-haul passengers in Europe.
The success of low-cost operators came after the European aviation market was liberalised in 1993 and now airports operate in a different way because of increased competition among airlines.
It was noted that there has been a particular increase in the availability of flights from the UK regions, as the likes of Durham Tees Valley, Bristol and Aberdeen airports have grown to become major hubs.
