Middle East and Africa LCCs: huge growth opportunities, but challenges

It has been nearly two decades since LCCs began to penetrate the Middle East and Africa markets. Comair was the pioneer in Africa, launching its budget brand kulula.com in 2001, and Air Arabia was the pioneer in the Middle East, launching operations in 2003.

While the LCC sector in the Middle East and Africa have since expanded, the LCC model has hardly proliferated in the way that it has in other regions. There are only 200 aircraft currently operated by LCCs based in the Middle East and Africa.

There are now 14 LCCs based in eight countries throughout the Middle East and Africa. However, most are small, and the main players are concentrated in three markets - Saudi Arabia, South Africa and the UAE.

LCC growth seems inevitable, but overcoming challenges, particularly in Africa's highly protective aviation market, will not be easy.