The rise of budget airlines in the 1970s and 80s has undeniably transformed the aviation industry, eclipsing even the impact of the Internet. Digitalisation has revolutionised how we book flights and plan trips, but the advent of mass-market air travel fundamentally altered the definition of distance for the wanderlusts. Budget airlines effectively disrupted the luxury paradigm of travel’s “golden age” by prioritising affordability and accessibility above all else, empowering travellers to explore the world like never before.
Therefore, it is no coincidence that the price of air travel has fallen sharply since the 1950s, and the number of available seats has doubled in just 15 years between 2004 and 2019. Technological advances such as the jet engine allowed planes to be built bigger and fly further, and no-frills airlines like EasyJet, Ryanair, etc. entered the market with their bare-bones service and attainable price brackets.
However, the impact of budget airlines reverberated far beyond ticket prices. Their fast-paced expansion and route development connected previously underserved airports with population centres around the world, stimulating tourism and economic growth in new destinations.
In essence, the rise of budget airlines democratised air travel, transforming it from a luxury for the few into an accessible commodity. This seismic shift in the aviation landscape has profoundly shaped how we fly today and has allowed us to travel further and more often than ever.
