Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

End of the free lunch? The responses of traditional European airlines to the low-cost carrier threat

2007; Elsevier BV; Volume: 13; Issue: 5 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/j.jairtraman.2007.04.005

1873-2089

Nigel Dennis,

Transport and Economic Policies

The short-haul operations of traditional European airlines such as British Airways and Lufthansa have come under increasing pressure from the growth of low-cost carriers. This paper examines their competitive responses. These are found to include reductions in labour costs, greater use of regional aircraft and a run-down of secondary hubs. Minimum stay requirements on cheap fares have been axed in many markets, while changes to the on-board service and a move to direct-sell bring these airlines closer to the low-cost carrier product. The network strength is largely maintained, however, which appears a better strategy than setting up a low-cost subsidiary.