Are low-cost airlines allowing an equal access to air travel? An empirical approach

Keywords: Air travel, equal access, massification, low-cost airlines
Abstract Type: Paper Abstract

Abstract

It is often put forward that low-cost airlines lead to a more equal access of air travel across all social groups. However, there is in fact very little data on the subject. This research bases its analysis on a large sample (N=1471) collected at Brussels South Charleroi Airport, Belgium over a six-months period and shows that the massification of air travel is not straightforward. Indeed, depending on what and how the data is considered, it does not always lead to a better balance between the different social groups (gender, age, diploma). The research considers three types of massification that induce, or not, a more equal access to air travel to all social groups: qualitative massification, quantitative massification and segregative massification (Demoli and Subtil, 2019). These three types of massification will help better understand how equal access can be reached.