Low-Cost carriers to boost Middle East aviation market

• Low-cost carriers share of total seat capacity across Middle East increased from 14.9% in 2018 to 16.5% in 2019
• Aviation to feature heavily in Arabian Travel Market programme, including a keynote from Emirates’ President Sir Tim Clark

Low-Cost Carriers (LCC) are driving growth in the Middle East aviation market, recording a 9.3% increase in seat capacity in 2019, according to CAPA Centre for Aviation. Indeed, LCC’s share of total seat capacity across the Middle East increased from 14.9% in 2018 to 16.5% in 2019, with a larger share of the region’s airline passengers now opting to fly with no-thrills airlines in more modest and affordable cabin surroundings.

Over the next 12 months, LCCs are predicted to continue to chip away at their bigger rivals’ market share, with Saudia’s LCC subsidiary, flyadeal, leading this trend – becoming the region’s largest airline by seats in 2019 and recording a capacity growth of 78.1%, according to the latest CAPA data.

In addition, Arabian Travel Market (ATM), which takes place at Dubai World Trade Centre from 19-22 April 2020, is witnessing this trend first-hand with LCCs including flydubai, flynas and flyadeal confirmed for the 2020 edition of the show.