European LCCs increasing capacity at 14 times the rate of legacy carriers, says OAG
The number of seats offered by low-cost carriers (LCCs) in Europe has increased by an average of 14% per year over the last decade, compared to a 1% average annual rise in capacity among legacy carriers, according to OAG, the market leader in aviation intelligence.
Download the OAG May FACTS infographic here
The OAG FACTS (Frequency and Capacity Trend Statistics) report for May shows that legacy airlines increased their annual market volume by 2.8 million seats between May 2004 and May 2013, while LCCs have collectively added more than 20 million seats during the same period, surpassing 30 million total seats in May this year.
The UK remains the largest LCC market in Europe, with 8.8 million international seats in May 2013, which is more than double the seat capacity of 10 years ago.
John Grant, executive vice president, OAG, says: “While it’s no surprise that LCCs are increasing capacity at a faster rate than their legacy counterparts, the actual rate at which low-cost airlines are growing their market share is quite astonishing. In the last 12 months alone, the UK’s international LCC capacity increased by 15%.”
Read the full press release here