Bugdet Airlines in Europe

The so-called budget airlines have democratized the skies and it has led other airlines to rethink their fares.

These airlines fly with the same type of aircraft used by the traditional airlines. SkyEurope for example has a fleet of used Boeing 737-300, 737-500 and 737-700. Vueling and Wizz Airlines use the Airbus A-320, EasyJet used to have Boeing 737 but have now migrated to the Airbus A-319. Jetairfly flies with Boeing 737-400, 737-800, 767-300 ER and the Fokker 100, and AirBaltic Boeing 737-300, 737-500 and Fokker 50. From March 2008, Ryanair has equipped itself with Boeing 737-800.

The flight staff on budget airlines receives training identical to those of national companies. The low cost airlines are subject to the same safety and control regulations.

These airlines offer attractive prices due to the fact that they fly to profitable destinations, including tourist destinations, sunny destinations, capitals and major cities. The service inside the aircraft is minimal; we should not expect a free newspaper or a meal but they food is available at extra cost. Many of the airlines exclusively use an online booking system and so avoiding the additional costs of printing and shipping traditional tickets.

Below is a list of cheap airlines in Europe

Air Baltic

Established in 1995, the company serves, as its name suggests, the Baltics and the countries of the former USSR. Thus, Brussels can reach Estonia (Tallinn and Kuressaare), Latvia (Riga and Liepaja) and Lithuania (Vilnius). airBaltic also serves Russia, Moscow, Kaliningrad, St. Petersburg), Ukraine (Kiev, Odessa, Simferopol), Georgia (Tbilisi), Byelorussia (Minsk and Gomel), and Azerbaijan (Baku).

Blue Air

Active in 8 countries, the Romanian airline only offers flights to Bucharest from Charleroi.

Blue1

The Finnish Company active since 1998 connects Finland to 18 European destinations. It gives a direct connection from Brussels to Riga and Vilnius. Travellers can fly from Helsinki and six other Finnish cities including Tampere.

BMI

Formerly British Midland, the British company founded in 1938 is present in Europe, North America, the Caribbean and the Middle East. It provides direct flights from Brussels to London Heathrow, Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Leeds Bradford, and Nottingham.

Brussels Airlines

Brussels Airlines was born in a March 2007 merger of the traditional company SN Brussels Airlines - the successor to defunct Sabena - and the low cost airline Virgin Express. The company offers flights to over 50 European destinations and 14 cities in Africa. A formula designed specifically for passenger flights on "low fare" for European destinations.

Easy Jet

This Company has been active since 1995 is defined as the leading airline "low cost" in Europe. It connects Brussels airport deBerlin Schoenefeld (Germany) and Geneva (Switzerland). The last destination was launched in June 2007.

Jet4you

Jet4you is the first Moroccan low cost airline and they had their first commercial flight in 2006. It connects France and Belgium in Morocco. Specifically, it connects the airport to Charleroi to Casablanca.

Jetairfly

Airline Jetair of the Belgian division of World of TUI Jetairfly specializes in destinations around the Mediterranean including the Algarve (Faro) in Portugal, Madeira and the Canary Islands. In autumn 2007, Jetairfly added Oujda to their five other Moroccan destinations (Agadir, Casablanca, Marrakech, Nador, Tangiers).

Ryan air

This Irish Company that operated its first flight in 1986 is active in 26 European countries. One of its features is to use secondary airports such as Brussels South (Charleroi), Girona (to Barcelona), Bergamo (to Milan), Ciampino (for Rome) to Venice Treviso).

From Charleroi, Ryanair serves Carcassonne and Marseille (France), Dublin, and Shannon (Ireland), Faro (Portugal), Barcelon, Madrid, Malaga, Valencia and Valladolid (Spain), Glasgow and London (UK), Milan, Pisa, Rome, Venice (Italy).

SkyEurope

Company operating since 2002 and based in Slovakia, SkyEurope is specialized in Eastern Europe. She has 92 routes between 39 destinations in 19 countries.
SkyEurope connects Brussels to Bratislava (Slovakia), Budapest (Hungary), Krakow and Warsaw (Poland), Prague (Czech Republic), Vienna (Austria).

VLM

Flemish Company, VLM offers 12 destinations on its network, including flights from Brussels (to London), Antwerp (for London and Manchester). The London can be reached by the same company, the Isle of Man and Jersey.

Vueling

Spanish airline operational since 2004, Vueling already offers 25 destinations in seven countries (including the Balearic Islands of Spain). It will connect the autumn 2007 Brussels to the Spanish cities of Alicante, Madrid, Malaga, and Seville.

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