對於身處在台灣的我們，廉價航空還只是一個非常模糊的詞彙。然而相比起美國或是歐洲地區，這種既有的商業模式不僅歷經了多次的演變，也深刻的影響著當地居民的生活。究竟廉價航空是什麼？顧名思義就是以低廉的票價提供旅客來搭乘的航空業者；而這些業者之所以能將票價降低，最主要的原因就是他們在既有的航空業操作模式中，找出了新的經營手法。這種發源於美國的商業模式在90年代初期被引進歐洲，並隨著歐盟在1997年開放天空之後有了蓬勃的發展。而有別於美國廉價航空的經營策略，歐盟的業者因為初期的競爭多集中在英國與愛爾蘭地區，因此更呈現出細化的風貌。由於考量到航空業對於一般大眾可能較為陌生，因此本文在撰寫上將會依序介紹航空市場的特性、西南航空的發展歷程、廉價航空的特性與歐盟廉價航空的發展。希望以此循序漸進的方式，讓讀者能更加容易的掌握本文的核心。 Low-Cost Airline or Budget Airline means some air carriers offer lower price tickets than other competitors in the same market. This business model was originated from U.S.A by the Southwest Airline, and introduced to Europe around 1990s. Although Low-Cost Airline has long history in those area, but it still is obscure Glossary for us. So, this study not only talks about Low-Cost Airline but also analyzes this industry. This dissertation will discuss multi-subject, such as airline industry system, history of the southwest and its management policy, elements of Low-Cost Airline and comparison with traditional airline, history of Low-Cost Airline in Europe and current situation. Of course, airline industry may was some professional terms for readers, therefore this article will try to use the simple way to explain every concept that help readers easier to understand the key of this study.
