Abstract The existing literature appears to suggest that low-cost carriers (LCCs) tend to focus their business at “secondary airports” instead of “primary airports”. However, there lack systematic quantifiers to distinguish the two airport types. The present paper investigates whether this remark still holds today, and if not, whether the change is a worldwide phenomenon. We first establish a systematic parameterization to classify airport types, based on aviation network connectivity, regional importance, and MAR (multi-airport region) effects. With this classification of world airports, our analysis of the latest empirical data shows that some previously indubitable features of LCCs might have slowly changed. In particular, LCCs are expanding fast at both upper-tiers’ and lower-tiers’ airports, and there is a trend of shifting airport choice from lower-tiers’ to upper-tiers’ airports for LCCs in some continents. The evolving competition relationship between the full-service carriers (FSCs) and LCCs is also discussed.
Highlights LCCs are expanding not only in low-tiers’ airports, but also in upper-tiers. Over half of the LCCs' long-haul flights involved using upper-tiers’ airports. Majority of LCCs' multiple-carrier-itinerary has at least one leg operated by FSCs. LCCs elevated some airports to Super hub under the World Airport classification. Within a tier, LCCs growth rate is higher in non-MAR group than in MAR group.
Examination of low-cost carriers' development at secondary airports using a comprehensive world airport classification
Journal of Air Transport Management ; 78 ; 96-105
2019-01-01
10 pages
Article (Journal)
Electronic Resource
English
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