The Number of Passengers Carried by UK Airlines Reached 124.3 Million an Increase of 8%.

DUBLIN, Ireland -- Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c42884) has announced the addition of Airlines Market Report 2006 to their offering.

This Market Report provides information on UK airlines. The main function of airlines is the provision of air transport for passengers from, and within, the UK. Freight is also carried on these passenger services, although the financial impact of this is small when compared to passenger revenues.

The UK airlines market enjoyed a strong 2005, with both passenger numbers and seat kilometres used increasing compared with their 2004 totals. The main driving force behind this expansion continues to be the ever-growing popularity of the low-cost carriers, aided by the increase in the number of destinations served by these carriers.

The airline market can be broadly divided into sectors in two different ways:

* scheduled and non-scheduled services

* domestic and international services.

Scheduled services are services that operate according to a published timetable and which are open to use by members of the public. Non-scheduled, or charter, services include all air transport movements other than scheduled services.

Domestic services are services that are flown entirely within the UK, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. International services are services flown between the UK, the Isle of Man, the Channel Islands and points overseas.

The majority of domestic passenger services are scheduled, as are a high proportion of international services (especially long-haul flights). Almost all journeys for business and for visiting friends and relatives (VFR) are made on scheduled services.

Unscheduled air services are usually operated by UK-based tour operators, and are part of the air-inclusive tour (AIT) or package holidays marketed by tour operators. In order to fill the chartered aircrafts, some tour operators also sell seats-only tickets on charter flights. Usually, most passengers flying on unscheduled services are doing so for leisure purposes.

In Chapter 2 Co Market Size Co the airlines market is divided into four main areas as follows:

* by type of service Co scheduled and non-scheduled

* by nationality of airlines Co passenger and cargo transport

* by origin of traveller

* by destination of traveller.

Topics Covered Include:
1. Market Definition
2. Market Size
3. Industry Background
4. Competitor Analysis
5. Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats
6. Buying Behaviour
7. Current Issues
8. The Global Market
9. Forecasts
10. Company Profiles
11. Consumer Confidence

Summary

The revenue generated by UK airlines is estimated to have reached [pounds sterling]15bn in 2005, a 1.9% increase on 2004. The number of passengers carried by UK airlines increased by 8% to 124.3 million and the number of seat kilometres used was up by 8.8% to 290.48 billion.

Air passenger transport is undertaken on both scheduled and non-scheduled services. Scheduled services comprise the largest and fastest-growing sector, mainly due to the popularity of low-cost flights. The number of passengers travelling on non-scheduled services fell in 2005, due in part to the continuing trend for consumers to make their own travel arrangements rather than travel on package or inclusive tours.

BAA PLC, the world's largest operator of airports, is very much in the news at present. The company is currently the subject of a takeover bid, and BAA's dominance of Britain's airport market is being investigated by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT), which is interested in whether the joint ownership of the London and Scottish airports is in consumers' interests. Many airlines, including Ryanair Holdings PLC (Europe's largest low-cost airline) and Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd, have argued that BAA has monopoly control over London airports and should be broken up.

The scheduled air services sector continues to be boosted by the ongoing expansion of the budget airline sector. These operators continue to increase the number of flights they offer, airports they fly from, and destinations they serve. With the expansion of the EU in 2005, low-cost services to and from these new destinations are proving to be particularly popular.

We forecast that the number of passengers carried by UK airlines will continue to increase in the second half of the decade. This growth is expected to come from the scheduled sector, which will once again be boosted by demand for low-cost flights. Passenger numbers on non-scheduled flights are expected to slip back further. Further increases in the price of oil, government taxation and air travel, and higher airport charges, are likely to be among the factors that will affect the industry up to 2010.

Companies Mentioned Include:
- British Airways Plc
- British Midland Airways Ltd
- Easyjet Airline Company Ltd
- First Choice Airways Ltd
- Mytravel Airways Ltd
- Thomsonfly Ltd
- Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd
- Monarch Airlines Ltd
- Ryanair Holdings Ltd
- Thomas Cook Airlines UK Ltd

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c42884