Ryanair is ranked as the second best value airline for travel within Europe after Scandinavian carrier Primera Air in a global flight pricing study dominated by carriers from Asia and the Middle East.
A total of 24 of the top 30 value international airlines are based in Asia or the Middle East, with AirAsia, Air India Express and Indonesia AirAsia forming the top three.
The research by travel planning platform Rome2rio is based on a two month analysis of more than 1.5 million economy-class prices from 200 airlines.
Ryanair’s average rates were found to be comparable to some of the budget Asian carriers.
But European airlines, with the exception of Primera Air, Ryanair and Wow Air, are struggling to keep pace with their Middle Eastern and Asian counterparts.
Rome2rio chief operating officer Kirsteene Phelan said: “British travellers seeking the best value for money may need to forgo any loyalty they may have to particular airlines and investigate new or charter airlines to secure the best price.
TAP Portugal, Iberia and easyJet all cost $0.19 per km, with British Airways at $0.20 whilst Iberia Express and Thomas Cook are just $0.14.
“Particularly for routes within Europe, if you are happy to spend a little bit of extra time travelling and connect via cities such as Madrid, you should be able to save on air fare.”
Newcomer to the UK, Primera Air trumps established rivals on transatlantic routes with Wow Air also providing a low-cost option between London and the US.
Virgin Atlantic is one of the few airlines showing a significant reduction in cost per km following its recent introduction of new economy class options, Rome2rio is tipping Virgin Atlantic to consolidate this position in the next few years.
Air Canada and United Airlines both offer an average price while Air New Zealand offers good value to the US west coast.
Phelan said: “Travel between the US and UK has been one of the hot markets in the last two years, driven by the arrival of Norwegian Air.
“New kid on the block, Primera Air, seems to have snatched Norwegian’s crown, whilst the traditional flagship carriers of United Airlines, American Airlines and British Airways continue to struggle to keep pace with their newer competition.”