ELFAA: Low fares airlines continue to go from strength to strength
29-Sep-2011 The European Low Fares Airlines Association (ELFAA) is proud to announce that its members have once again bucked the global economic trend by carrying significantly more passengers, as it has in every year since its formation in 2003.
Between July 2010 and June 2011 the number of passengers on ELFAA airlines increased from 172 million to 183 million passengers, an increase of 10% over the previous year. In addition, their already high average occupancy factor increased by a further 1.4% and their number of employees shot up by 12.1% on the previous year - proof that low fares airlines continue to provide tangible economic benefits for Europeans across the continent.
"These figures demonstrate beyond any doubt that low fares airlines are Europe's airlines of the future" said John Hanlon, Secretary General, ELFAA. "Whilst other carriers have bemoaned falling passenger numbers and share in recent years, low cost airlines continue to go from strength to strength, carrying more passengers than ever before and doing it more efficiently than any of our competitors."
The latest figures support the conclusions of the York Aviation report, published in April, which show that, by 2020, the share of intra-Europe scheduled passengers travelling with low fares airlines is set to increase from 38% to 53%, while the low fares share of point-to-point intra-Europe passengers will rise from 43% to 60%.
"The future of low fares airlines looks very bright indeed, yet there remain significant obstacles to overcome if we are to perform to our fullest potential and provide affordable travel to even more citizens of Europe." added Mr Hanlon. "ELFAA will continue to push strongly for rapid implementation of a true Single European Sky, which would bring significant benefit, not only for consumers in the form of more direct routeings, fewer delays and lower fares, resulting from the elimination of the horrendous cost penalty of the current fragmentation but also for the environment due to lower emissions. Meanwhile, unjust injections of state aid into certain ailing airlines do nothing to level the playing field, making the success of the dynamic low fares sector as remarkable as it is satisfying."
Mr Hanlon concluded: "Low fares airlines open up new markets, develop economies, connect the regions of Europe, while increasing competition and choice in the market. Once the preserve of a wealthy elite, low fares airlines have made travel by air accessible for all, as evidenced by the figures published today."