Singapore: Asian budget airlines - including AirAsia, Tigerair and Jetstar - carried more passengers last year than their European or North American counterparts.
In just over a decade, the Asian airlines have gone from an almost-zero presence to carrying 31 per cent of global budget travellers last year.
European carriers - which include Ryanair - accounted for 30 per cent of total traffic while North American airlines had 26 per cent market share, according to preliminary data compiled by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).
Globally, budget airlines carried more than 950 million passengers last year, which is about 28 per cent of all air travelers, compared with 27 per cent in 2014.
Asia’s share of the pie is expected to continue to grow, analysts said.
A rising middle class in India and China, and budget carriers still in their infancy in Northeast Asia especially, will fuel growth in the sector, they said.
11/01/16 Karamjit Kaur/The Straits Times/Jakarta Post
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In just over a decade, the Asian airlines have gone from an almost-zero presence to carrying 31 per cent of global budget travellers last year.
European carriers - which include Ryanair - accounted for 30 per cent of total traffic while North American airlines had 26 per cent market share, according to preliminary data compiled by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).
Globally, budget airlines carried more than 950 million passengers last year, which is about 28 per cent of all air travelers, compared with 27 per cent in 2014.
Asia’s share of the pie is expected to continue to grow, analysts said.
A rising middle class in India and China, and budget carriers still in their infancy in Northeast Asia especially, will fuel growth in the sector, they said.
11/01/16 Karamjit Kaur/The Straits Times/Jakarta Post
