Vienna's Changing Market

Ultra-Low-Cost provokes legacy woes

The battle amongst Europe’s low-cost airlines has slowly been shifting eastwards as markets continue to mature in both Western and Central Europe. Whilst we continue to see the normal ebb and flow of capacity in those established markets as they respond to political and economic conditions the contest is shifting eastwards all the time. No better example of this exist amongst the larger markets than in Vienna where although the winter may be getting slightly colder, the battle is heating up.

Europe’s Fastest Growing Major Airport – Vienna ranks as the 12th largest airport in Western Europe from a capacity perspective this Winter season. It’s ahead of Zurich and just behind Sabiha Gokcen Istanbul where the large domestic market helps that airports volume. Vienna ranks first in terms of year on year growth with an additional 540,000 seats this winter; a growth rate of some 7.4% and approximately 21 additional flights a day based on typical capacity per movement. In Winter 2012/13 Vienna ranked as the 16th largest airport in Western Europe so has slowly moved its way through the rankings; and with an AAGR of 5.6% ranks fourth over the last seven years as the table below shows.