Regional route network as the basis of the budget airline concept: the European experience and the Russian practice

Abstract

Purpose: the fundamental basis of the research is the analysis of the route network of the leading European budget airlines in the structure of regional airports in France. In the structure of European regional airports, the share of flights of budget airlines is from 60% to 80%, in the structure of Russian regional airports, the share of flights of budget airlines is less than 10%. Discussion: the European experience of overcoming the consequences of the global financial crisis in 2008 demonstrated the increasing role and influence of budget airlines in the passenger air transport market. Overcoming the consequences of the structural economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic will require the adoption of a set of measures aimed at stabilizing the Russian passenger air transport market. In the conditions of falling consumer activity and a decrease in the level of welfare of the population, one of the most likely scenarios will be the strengthening of the role and influence of budget airlines in the Russian passenger air transport market. One of the key factors for consumers ' choice will be the lower cost of air tickets and the branching of the regional route network of budget air carriers. Results: the result of the study is the conclusion that the share of budget airlines in the structure of the route network of Voronezh airport is extremely low, amounting to only 6.67%. For comparison, the share of flights of budget airlines in the structure of Saratov airport is 42.85%. Based on the analysis of the route network of Voronezh airport, a model for the development of budget regional destinations of small and medium length (from 500 to 1500 km) was presented. In the context of overcoming the crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the development of cooperation with budget airlines can become one of the key factors of growth and development for Voronezh airport.