ABSTRACT
The research of regional air carriers is still behind the research of traditional and lowcost carriers in terms of market dynamics, business and operational models, and other competitiveness problems. In this article, we focus on the regional air carriers in the United Kingdom. We investigate the number of market entries and exits from 1962 to 2017 and the reasons for the exits. Our analysis also includes the fleet attributes, such as fleet composition, as well as the airport networks used by the UK regional air carriers that currently supply the markets. Our findings confirm that the sector of regional air carriers in the United Kingdom is very dynamic, contributing to the consolidation of European air carriers driven by liberalization of the air transport industry in Europe, 9/11, and the world economic and financial crisis. The comparison of Flybe, the biggest regional air carrier in the United Kingdom, and the UK low-cost carriers reveals the necessity to further investigate the business and operational models of regional air carriers in general and describe the sector and its role in the aviation industry as well as its role in the socio-economic development of regions and countries.
