The Opportunity for Long-Haul, Low-Cost Airlines
Skift Take
With the availability of better aircraft, a growing middle class and the evolving travel preferences of young travelers, there could be a billion-dollar opportunity waiting for low-cost, long haul air travel.
JetBlue said recently that it was eliminating a number of routes from its network. It soon became clear that the low-cost airline was adopting a network optimization strategy aimed at cutting unprofitable services and redeploying its fleet to more lucrative locations.
The U.S. carrier has been hit with a double whammy of regulatory headaches. The Department of Justice blocked its $3.8 billion bid for Spirit Airlines, and a federal antitrust ruling was made against its partnership with American Airlines.
In light of these setbacks, i
