Low-cost carriers have been the growth phenomenon of the last decade in air transport. This year's Airline Business low-cost airlines survey, based on traffic figures for 70 airlines, shows no-frills and hybrid operators carried nearly 640 million passengers in 2010.

But what have been the triggers for this growth of the sector? We've plotted some of the key drivers and developments in the evolution of low-cost carriers in a special interactive timeline, looking back at some of the pioneers in the formative years of the sector; the airlines that have driven forward its development; and some of the trends which have emerged over the years.

LCC timeline  
Open the timeline
To trace the development of low-cost carriers, simply open a window onboard our special timeline aircraft to open a window giving more details on key developments and milestones.

The timeline is part of our special interactive edition of Airline Business focusing on the low-cost carrier sector. Here you can also find an interactive treatment of the top ten low-cost carriers by revenues in 2010, video interviews with industry experts on the challenges and aircraft/engine technologies driving its future development, and a cryptic picture quiz where you can test your knowledge of low-cost carriers past and present.

Source: Airline Business

Topics