Individual Discussion Document On The Future Of Uk Architecture

A total of 115 million passengers uplifted in 2004

Around 115 million passengers were uplifted by UK-based airlines on domestic and foreign routes in 2004, a rise of 10% on 2000 figures. Over the 2000-04 period, airline capacity declined by 1% from 3.4 million to 3.3 million as full-service carriers such as BA and Virgin Atlantic reduced the number of flights and closed unprofitable routes.

The top five UK airlines in terms of capacity (seat km available) are: British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, MyTravel Airways, Britannia (Thomsonfly) and easyJet. Whilst British Airways and Virgin Atlantic have shed capacity in recent years, the other airlines have expanded, with easyJet being by far the fastest growing carrier.

...to Market Size and Trends - Capacity and utilisation

bookmark | export Air independent travel appears strong

The consumer research revealed that whilst over one-third of adults had flown on a scheduled airline during the last two years, one-quarter had travelled on a low-cost carrier - five percentage points more than those having travelled on a charter airline. This underlines the importance of the low-cost sector and the increasing number of consumers travelling independently, and is further supported by analysis by airline brand taken which shows easyJet to be the second most utilised carrier after British Airways.

...to The Consumer - Figure 33: Airlines used in the past two years, October 2004

bookmark | export 10.8 million price conscious passengers

Today's consumer appears to be more price-conscious than ever before, with 22% of adults being classified as "Price-conscious Passengers." The majority of these consumers are short-haul travellers, seeking off-peak deals to travel on city breaks, visit friends and relatives, or to participate in activities such as skiing.

...to Consumer Attitudes and Targeting Opportunities - Attitudes towards airlines and airline brands taken

bookmark | export Fuel prices still a key issue

The price of oil has been rising for over a year, and in April 2005 peaked at $58 a barrel before falling to its current level of $50. It is not clear whether the price will surpass this again in 2005, however British Airways and Virgin Atlantic have already increased their fuel surcharges to Ј32 per return trip on long-haul flights. The low-cost carriers are still refusing to impose their own fuel surcharges, although this is putting increased pressure on their profitability. Overall, the current high price of oil remains a significant issue for airline operations in the UK and worldwide.

...to Market Factors