Budget airlines carry over half spain’s air traffic

Low cost airlines carried 28.9 million passengers during the first nine months of the year, which is a 14.1% increase over the same period in 2010, compared to regular airlines, who carried 21.4 million passengers, an 8.3% rise, according to data released this week by the Institute of Tourism Studies for the Ministry of Industry, Tourism and Trade, reported Cinco Dias.

Thus, the low cost airlines accounted for more than half of Spain’s air traffic up to September, at 57.5%, compared to the traditional airlines who commanded 42.5% of the travellers.

By market, the UK and Germany lead the figures for budget airline travel, with 36.8% and 20% respectively of passengers who chose this path, which is up 10.2% for the British market (at 10.6 million passengers) and 6.6% for German travellers (with 5.7 million passengers).

In September, low cost airlines transported 3.8 million passengers, a 12.4% increase, while the traditional airlines carried 2.7 million passengers, representing an increase of 8.4%. Of the 6.5 million international passengers who arrived in Spain by air last month 58.8% did so using ‘low cost’ companies.

Source: Kyero.com