Budget carriers to lead post-COVID air travel recovery: report

Low-cost carriers (LCC) will lead post-Covid recovery, thanks to their ability to quickly respond to pent up demand which will pay off, according to GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

Frugal cost-cutting measures taken and operational responsiveness will see these carriers move quickly to absorb pent-up demand and capitalise on any opportunities ahead of other high-cost model airlines, stated GlobalData in its recent report.

The Covid-19 pandemic has amplified consumer concerns around personal finances, it stated.

GlobalDatas latest Covid-19 Recovery Survey showed that globally, a staggering 87% of respondents were extremely, quite, or slightly concerned about their personal financial position.

Gus Gardner, Travel and Tourism Analyst at GlobalData, said: "LCCs have trimmed costs well. Although all airlines have drastically reduced costs to weather the storm created by Covid-19, it is evident that low-cost carriers have managed to push already low-cost bases even lower."

"These carriers can now operate cash-positive routes with a lower load factor than before, which is incredibly important with the current low levels of demand," stated Gardner.

"LCCs were the first off the blocks to capture any pent-up demand in the market and were successful in doing so. Wizz Air responded quickly by adding capacity from the UK to the Canary Islands when it was added to the travel corridor list. Relaxation of travel rules across Europe in the summer, and the rapid increase in capacity deployed by LCCs to respond to the high levels of pent-up demand, showed that low-cost airlines remained nimble and flexible during the pandemic," he added.

He pointed out that LCCs have shown a high degree of resilience and flexibility to network planning and aircraft deployment.

The sale and leaseback agreements forged by easyJet have given the company a high degree of fleet flexibility to better respond to changes in demand over the coming years. This places it in a much stronger position than legacy carriers that have retired aircraft from their fleets, said Gardner.

"The low fares offered by LCCs will better cater to the increased need of affordability. Cost-cutting measures will allow LCCs to push ticket prices to new lows if necessary and still break-even, leaving other carriers at the risk of flying unprofitably if they choose to compete," he stated.