More and more distant destinations, planes always full, passengers increasingly sensitive to the price argument. While air travel has almost closed the covid leg, with traffic close to that of 2019, low cost is returning.
In the long-haul arena, legacy airlines have a lot to do with the fierce competition on transatlantic routes. The Norwegian Norse Atlantic Airways, which celebrated its first anniversary in June, continues to expand its offer. In May it will offer direct flights between Paris and Los Angeles. This will be its third transatlantic connection from Roissy, after Miami and New York.
In Paris New York, three low cost companies lower prices
Direct flights between the most visited city in the United States and the two Paris airports are reaching record levels. Air France and Delta, former commercial allies, now face offers from their historical competitors (United and American Airlines), from La Compagnie, which drives down prices for lucrative business class, and from three low-cost airlines: Norse , the American Jet Blue and the French French Bee. Prices for Paris-New York flights are therefore unlikely to skyrocket.
Faced with this strong competition, which will intensify in the long term, its subsidiary Air France counterattacks with its own low cost, Transavia. The French will be able to travel to Dakar from Paris, Lyon, Bordeaux, Toulouse and Marseille. Transavia is also trying to create opportunities for Emirates with a Lyon-Dubai route. The destination also served this winter from Marseille as a preventive response to Air Arabia, the Emirati low-cost airline that plans to launch this route.
Passengers transported, tickets on sale… Ryanair multiplies records
The network of low-cost airlines is also expanding in Europe with the delivery of new aircraft, with more and more connections from medium-sized cities and to less “popular” destinations. Lapland, for example, will be able to count on offers from Ryanair, Vueling and Transavia.
Therefore, the battle promises to be arduous. And the company best prepared to win remains Ryanair, which in August broke a new record for the number of passengers: 18.9 million in a single month. In France alone, the European low-cost champion currently operates in 26 airports. And on its routes to France alone, Ryanair will put 5.7 million seats on sale during the winter season. Again, a record.
Source: BFM TV
