Biggest Low Cost Carrier in the US

Many new pilots get their first job flying for a low-cost or discount airline or a regional airline.  This is typical throughout the world.  Who are some of the big low-cost airlines?

Southwest Airlines in the US is the biggest, and in Europe and the UK, Ryanair is the largest. Southwest is three-times bigger than Ryanair in terms of weekly flights (22,800 vs 7,800), but Ryanair operates a phenomenal 629 routes to 139 airports. Southwest has three times more aircraft, but operates 434 routes only from just 64 airports.

Ten of the world's most successful low-cost airlines are:

North America: Southwest, AirTran, Jet Blue, Westjet

South America: GOL

Europe: Ryanair, easyJet

Middle East: Air Arabia

Asia-Pacific: AirAsia (including Thai AirAsia and Indonesia AirAsia), Virgin Blue.

Although India and Mexico have many fast-growing low-cost (LCC) airlines, none of them have yet truly established themselves as the above have.