Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Box 9.1.
Low-cost airlines' model characteristics.
The European Union's Committee on Economic Affairs and Development has noted the main
operating characteristics of low-cost carriers:
the creation of new routes, often at secondary airports;
●
a broadening of the market to carry passengers who would not have previously travelled (by air);
●
a concentration on short and mid-range distances;
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point-to-point flights between smaller airports allow more rotations (round-trips) in a single day,
with no regard for connectivity at the place of arrival;
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flight timetables are flexible and ready to react to seasonal changes in demand;
●
communication systems are standardized;
●
pay levels are relatively lower;
●
cabin crew are often used to clean the aircraft between flights thereby saving time and costs
and helping rapid turn-round times (25 minutes for Ryanair), again permitting more flights
to be undertaken within the same day;
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the aircraft used often have the maximum possible number of seats and thus less leg-room;
●
low-cost carriers normally offer few or no frills: all food and drink on board is purchased at
relatively high prices;
●
landing fees at the airports used are low or non-existent;
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passengers may also pay indirectly due to longer and more costly land transport from remote
secondary airports;
●
point-to-point operation also means one-way fares are employed, no onward baggage facilities
are provided, and no provision is made for missed connections;
●
electronic, web-based reservation systems are employed, lowering costs for operators and
obviating the need to issue paper tickets.
●
Source:
after Masseret, 2003, pp. 6-7.
destinations, and since low-cost carriers operate
primarily short and medium-haul flights, the
tourism receipts are generated within European
countries (Alderighi
et al
., 2004).
Prague Ruzyne airport has developed a
key position in relation to low-cost carriers for
Central and Eastern Europe. The number of
passengers passing through the airport using
low-cost carriers increased by 116.5% in 2003,
and movements increased by 84.6%. The share
of low-cost passengers was 8% in that year,
rising to 13% in 2004 (Prague Airport, 2005).
The first low-cost airline started to operate
to the Czech Republic in 1999 (British Airways'
spin-off GO, since sold to EasyJet), to Prague from
London Stansted. At the time of writing some
12 low-cost carriers operate into Prague Ruzyne
airport - bmi baby, EasyJet, FlyBe, Germanwings,
Jet2.com, SkyEurope Airlines, Snowflake, Smart
Wings, WIZZ Air, Sterling European AI, Helvetic
Airways, and Discovery Travel. These provide
more than 20 routes, including nine UK destina-
tions, Stuttgart, Cologne/Bonn, Stockholm,
Paris, Zurich, Madrid, Amsterdam, Copenhagen,
Budapest, Katowice and Košice.
The first Czech low-cost carrier, Smart
Wings, launched regular flights to Paris,
Zurich, Madrid, Amsterdam and Copenhagen
in May 2004, and added flights to Vienna,
Rome and London in October 2004. Smart
Wings also operated flights to Palma de
Mallorca, Heraklion, Larnaca, Milan and Solun
in the summer season of 2005. Discovery
Travel flew from Kunovice to Prague and
Antwerp from 2004. Ryanair began opera-
tions between Brno and London Stansted in
March 2005.
The increasing number of low-cost carriers
in Prague is determined by a number of factors
that include:
the economic environment in the Czech
Republic is very friendly, open and one of
the most liberal to the low-cost carriers in
Europe;
●
Prague is an attractive destination both for
leisure and business visitors;
●
most low-cost carriers use the high quality
passenger services available at the main
Prague Ruzyne airport;
●
