Low-cost carriers' unit-cost advantage over legacy airlines has persisted for three decades, and it has widened.
What this shows: The chart covers 1995 Q1 to 2025 Q3. It plots Legacy carriers and Low-cost carriers (LCC) on a vertical axis of Cost per available seat-mile, CASM (¢). Latest values: Legacy carriers 18.62; Low-cost carriers (LCC) 13.59. Data run through 2025 Q3.