ABSTRACT
After North America, Europe is the second continent to be exploited by low-cost carriers (LCCs). These airlines have previously unseen dynamics in the Western and Central European air traffic markets. Following radical structural change, LCCs have since become a firmly established part of the air traffic scene in Western and Central Europe. The dynamic rate of growth recorded by LCCs in Western and Central Europe has largely been made possible through the liberalization of European air traffic. This is also based on the initial deregulation measures implemented in the USA: 'The initial impetus for change came from the strong public pressure for deregulation of domestic air services in the United States, culminating in the 1978 Deregulation Act'. Network carriers as well as LCCs are expected to shake out the aviation market of Western and Central Europe. Competition among LCCs will intensify. With the compression of LCC route networks more and more routes will be served by several LCCs.
