In this article, we look at the world’s top ten cheap airlines offering budget flights to hundreds of destinations worldwide. We list the global brands which offer some of the cheapest fares for popular flight routes. We have ranked them from one to ten based on reported customer satisfaction, performance and popularity in their respective regions.

10. Skymark airlines

Skymark Airlines is one of the most popular cheap airlines offering budget flights based in Japan, Tokyo. The airline commenced operations in 1998 and has since become one of the leading low-cost airlines in Japan. Their fleet of 30 plus aircraft offers flights to 15 destinations within Japan making it a popular choice with travellers looking for cheap domestic flights.

9. Tiger airways

Tiger Airways is a Singapore based cheap airline brand. It was founded in the year 2003 and has since become profitable in rapid fashion. Their fleet of 19 Airbus A320 200′s offers cheap flights within the South East Asia region and to Australia, China and India.

8. SpiceJet

SpiceJet is India’s third-largest cheap airline by market share. It was established in 2004 by entrepreneur Kalanithi Maran – a leading Indian media baron. This low-cost airline offers flights to 54 destinations from its current fleet of 51 aircraft. The airline has used novel techniques to increase its popularity such as offering a million seats on any domestic route for the low price of £23.

7. Air Arabia

Air Arabia is one of the Middle East’s most successful cheap airlines by passenger numbers. The airline was established in 2003 and offers no-frills flights to 81 destinations including flights to Europe, North Africa, the Indian subcontinent, Central Asia and within the Middle East itself. The airline is based in Sharjah to keep operating costs at a minimum as opposed to basing it at the major hub of Dubai international airport.

6. WestJet Airlines

WestJet Airlines is Canada’s most successful cheap flight airline. It is just behind Air Canada in terms of the number of passengers carried per annum and is ranked number 9 amongst all the airlines based in North America. Established in 1996 their fleet of 101 aircraft offer flights to numerous destinations within the United States, Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean.

Top 5 Countdown To Really Cheap Airlines In The World

5. AirAsia

AirAsia was the pioneer of the concept of cheap airlines within the Asia region. The Malaysia based airline has gone from strength to strength and now offers flights to over 400 destinations via its group of subsidiaries which include the brands of AirAsia X, Thai AirAsia, AirAsia Japan, AirAsia Philippines and Indonesian AirAsia.

4. JetBlue Airways

JetBlue Airways is one of the most popular cheap airlines based in New York, USA. The airline was established in 1999 and now offers flights to 75 destinations via its fleet of 172 aircraft. The airline mainly offers domestic routes within the USA but also operates some flights to the Caribbean and South America. It was one of the few airlines which continued to make a profit even after the tragic events of September 11^th 2001.

3. Ryanair

Ryanair is an Irish based low-cost airline. The airline became successful very quickly and their fleet has expanded rapidly to over 300 Boeing aircraft. The airline has become one of the main go-to airlines in Europe for low-cost flights to over 160 destinations. The current CEO of Ryanair Michael O’Leary is credited for taking the airline from strength to strength by basing Ryanair on the business model of Southwest airlines based in the USA.

2. Easyjet

Easyjet is one of Europe’s leading cheap airlines. They offer cheap flights to more than 130 destinations via their fleet of 190 aircraft. The carrier was established in 1995 by Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou the son of a Greek shipping magnate. Since its establishment, the airline has expanded operations and now has bases in London, Scotland, Ireland, France, Italy and Switzerland. It enjoys a slightly better reputation than its rival Ryanair ever since Ryanair announced they would possibly charge 1 euro to use their onboard lavatories.

1. Southwest Airlines

Southwest Airlines is the global founder of the concept of flying no-frills via cheap airlines. Established in 1969 it is the number one carrier of passengers on domestic routes within the USA. They boast a massive fleet of 586 aircraft and offer cheap flights to 78 destinations. The airline was founded by Rollin King and Herb Kelleher with the initial intention to offer routes within Texas. The airline has gone from strength to strength and now offers 3400 flights a day from major hubs scattered throughout the USA.