Why Europe's LCC fleets will continue to grow. Ryanair leads; Wizz Air has most orders

Aircraft operated by LCCs are 20% of the total airline fleet in Europe, a higher share than in any other world region. Over the decade from 2007 to 2017, Europe's LCC fleet almost doubled in size, while the continent's total fleet grew by less than a quarter. LCC widebody numbers have more than tripled, but their share of Europe's LCC fleet was still only around 3% in 2017, similar to the global average.

Europe's LCCs account for a disproportionate share of the continent's aircraft orders, with 42% - although they are far behind Asia Pacific's LCCs on absolute order numbers. European LCC orders are equivalent to two thirds of LCC aircraft in service, compared with only one third for all European airlines.

Ryanair has Europe's largest LCC fleet, while Wizz Air has the highest number of LCC aircraft orders. As a percentage of aircraft in service, the much smaller Primera Air's orders represent the biggest bet on the future. Boeing has the highest number of aircraft in service with Europe's LCCs, but Airbus leads on aircraft orders, thanks to its A320neo family.

This report presents a detailed analysis of data on Europe's LCC fleet and aircraft orders based on the CAPA Fleet Database.