CAPA Low Cost Long Haul Global Summit: Hamburg, 10/11-Oct-2019

Even as the controversy continues over whether low cost long haul LCC operations are sustainable, the fact is that there has been a dramatic expansion in this category over the past few years.

After years of developing short haul, point to point operations, LCCs have reached a point where the sophistication of their business models and new aircraft technologies are aligning with revised passenger expectations to make long haul services a true growth proposition.

Aside from the debate about what is a long haul low cost operation, the central issue is that the high fare, high service proposition of traditional long haul markets is ripe for disruption. As a consequence, airports and destinations are aggressively courting LCCs to develop new direct routes.

Not all is smooth sailing though. As recent bankruptcies in Europe illustrate, the margins in aviation remain slim and today's market disruptors are potentially tomorrow's case studies in what not to do. The clouds of an economic downturn are also looming, and there are those that doubt the viability of the model to weather the storm.

CAPA's Low Cost Long Haul Global Summit to be held in Hamburg on 10/11-Oct-2019, will explore this new frontier of low cost travel as one of the key trends for aviation.