As we previously saw in an article here on traveltheworldwith.us it is common practice for low cost airlines to use one aircraft type. If you wish to find out why, here’s the link to that post. In this post we’ll go over what aircraft type do Eurpean low cost airlines use.
Which Low Cost Airlines Will we Analyze?
In modern aviation the line between full service and low cost airlines is getting thinner and thinner. However in this post we’ll be looking at the real low cost airlines of Europe. Which I consider to be:
- Ryanair
- EasyJet
- Wizzair
- Air Baltic
- Vueling
- Jet2.com
Ryanair and Its All 737 Fleet
The largest and most famous low cost airline in Europe is without a doubt Ryanair. For decades now the Irish low cost carrier has been operating an all 737 fleet.
First the NG family and now it is bringing into service the newest generation of 737s the controversial MAX version. Ryanair operates this aircraft type in a high density 3-3 layout across the cabin.
EasyJet Goes in The Opposite Direction
The British low cost airline, EasyJet, went in the complete opposite direction with Ryanair. They have chosen to use the 737’s nemesis, the A320 family of aircraft in all its variations.
EasyJet as a matter of fact has used all variations of the A320 starting from the smaller A319, A320 and the larger A321. They too are bringing into operation the newer NEO versions of the aircraft type.
Wizzair Also On The Airbus Wagon
Wizzair has made a similar choice to the one made by EasyJet. The rapidly growing and expanding Hungarian low cost airline uses an all Airbus A320 family fleet.
Air Baltic Opts For The Sleek A220
Air Baltic, half way between a full service and a low cost airline, made a more intriguing choice of aircraft type. The Latvian airline chose to sell and scrap all of its older planes to fly an all A220 fleet. The airline is loving the efficiency of the A220 and it capability of reaching all of it’s European destinations with an excellent load factor.
Vueling on the A320, For Now…
The IAG Group low cost airline, Vueling, also flies, as EasyJet and Wizzair do, the Airbus A320. However the Spain based airline might be mixing things up in the future as AIG is set to receive a large number of 737s, part of which will go to Vueling.
Jet2.com The One That Stands Out Among The LCC Airlines
Jet2 is definitely the low cost carrier that stands out from the lot. They are the only one that doesn’t use a single aircraft type but a variaty. Specifically they use:
- Boeing 737s
- Airbus A320 and its variants
- Airbus A330s
- Boeing 757s
What Low Cost Airlines Aircraft Choice Has In Common
There is one thing than all these operators have in common, that is that they all operate single aisle, twin-engine high efficiency jets. They opt for these aircraft types because they ensure great economics and are easy enough to fill and achieve a high load factor. The airlines that still have a mixed fleet might do so for operational reasons as they might have to serve long range destinations or are in a transition phase.
