HONG, Seock-Jin, Professor at BEM(Bordeaux Management
School)
Low cost carrier’s (LCCs) market share is
increasing fast in Korea. According to recent data, LCC penetration exceeded
41.6% in domestic routes, only 2.1% in 2006, and 3.6% in international routes
in terms of aircraft movement. It would be 25.9% (between Jan. to Mar 2012) in
the world. The number is increased three times more than 2001. Especially, in
South-east Asia, the penetration rate is so higher (50.9%) than other region,
38.5% in Europe, 30% in North America, and 24.9% in Asia-Pacific region.
The role and weight of
LCC is changing implies to more demanding terminal or airport dedicated for LCC
(Table 1). In France, the air transport demand in regional airport is,
absolutely, decreasing because of continuous expansion of high speed train and
highway. To response decreasing demand, Marseille airport had built a terminal
dedicated for LCCs. High speed train and rail in France was launched in 1981
between Paris and Lyon, in June 2001 between Lyon and Marseille. It means only
3 hours are enough to travel between Paris and Marseille (783 km) with 261
km/h. Marseille airport renovated cargo terminal to LCC terminal to host more
LCC with low user charge at airport. Km). LCCs terminal attracts more
international passenger while domestic passenger decreases. Bordeaux airport
open their LCCs terminal in 2010 in facing the connection high speed rail
between Tour and Bordeaux in 2016. The terminal impacts on demand positively
especially led by LCCs.
Lyon Saint-Exupery
airport newly opened at outskirt of Lyon in 1987, six years after had launched
high speed train. However, the airport is not only transport terminal for only
air but also multimodal terminal including high speed train terminal and access
to highway within 5 minutes. Furthermore, in 2008, Lyon airport modified cargo
terminal to LCCs terminal to invite more LCC as a regional hub to connect the
most frequently other cities in Europe. Ryanair assigns 4 B737s at Bremen
airport in Germany using their own terminal, and connects 18 cities in Europe.
While Ryanair uses the terminal, passenger and carrier can reduce their cost
from 70 % to 25%. The terminal provides short moving distance with only one
story building, cut parking charge, and other creative idea to lower the cost.
Not only small and medium
sized regional airport but large hub airport, also, provides LCCs dedicated
terminal, such as Amsterdam airport. Amsterdam airport allocated some gates
only for LCCs. A new terminal dedicated to low cost carriers has opened on Oct.
at Kansai Airport in Osaka, western Japan. The terminal is a hub airport for
Peach, one of LCCs in Japan. Narita airport in Tokyo announced to open LCCs
terminal in 2015. In Tokyo, there is one airport (Ibaraki airport) dedicated to
LCCs. The airport is located about 85 km north from Tokyo. Skymark Airways
provides 5 flights per day to Kobe, Sapporo, Okinawa (summer schedule), and
Spring Airlines, Chinese LCC, 6 flights per week to Shanghai.
In Korea, there aren’t LCCs terminals or airports. Once Cheongju airport had
been considered LCCs airport. But the airport had disadvantage than Gimpo and
Incheon international airport in terms of geological location. It is time to
decide to build LCCs terminal in Incheon Internationla airport to compete with
rival airports in Japan and China.
Table 1 Airports or Terminals dedicated for Low Cost Carriers
Airports or
Terminals
|
Time to open
|
Airlines
|
Singapore, Changi Airport-Budget
Terminal
|
Mar 2006
|
Tiger Airways, Cebu Pacific
|
Malaysia, Kuala
lumpur Airport –LCCT
|
Mar 2006
|
Air Asia, Air
Asia-X, Cebu Pacific
|
France,
Marseille Airport-MP2
|
Oct 2006
|
Ryanair, easyjet, Jet
Air Fly, Jet4you, Pegasus Air
|
Germany, Bremen Airport
|
Sep. 2006
|
Ryanair (dedicated terminal)
|
USA, Austin Airport
|
Mar. 2008
|
Viva Aero Bus
|
France, Lyon Airport
|
Apr. 2008
|
Easyjet
|
France, Bordeaux Airport-Billi
|
Mar 2010
|
Ryanair,
easyjey, Vueling, Jet4You
|
Australia, Melbourne Airport-T4
|
Nov 2007
|
Tiger Airways
|
The Netherlands, Amsterdam Airport
|
-
|
Allocated at
an existing terminal-9 LCCs
|
Source: Airline Business,
Dec. 2007 and internet sites of Airports
Figure 1 Billi Terminal at Bordeaux Airport Source; http://www.bordeaux.aeroport.fr/
Figure 2 Ibaraki Airport near Tokyo
//End//