Comparison of legroom offerings among Europe's top low-cost airlines

Ryanair, easyJet, and Wizz Air were Europe's top low-cost carriers by capacity in June 2025, surpassing mainline carriers. Ryanair operates an all-Boeing 737 fleet from Ireland; easyJet uses an all-A320-family fleet from the UK; Wizz Air is Hungary-based with A320-family jets.

Data from OAG shows Ryanair leading with 20.1 million seats in June, followed by easyJet with 9.6 million and Wizz Air with 6.2 million seats. Lufthansa and Turkish Airlines each had around 5.8 million seats.

easyJet and Wizz Air operate similar aircraft types, allowing direct comparisons of their Airbus A320neo configurations: Wizz Air's aircraft have 180 Geven Essenz slimline economy seats; easyJet's have 186 Recaro SL3510 slimline seats with comparable dimensions but slightly different seat pitches.

The larger Airbus A321neo features similar configurations for both airlines but offers more seats—239 for Wizz Air and 235 for easyJet—with consistent seat width and pitch across models.

Ryanair's Boeing MAX aircraft feature Zodiac Z110 slimline seats matching easyJet's and Wizz Air's seat dimensions but without recline functionality—a common trend among low-cost carriers to reduce passenger complaints about reclining into others' spaces.

All three airlines maintain young fleets equipped with modern aircraft models: Ryanair averages a fleet age of 10.1 years; easyJet at 11.1 years; Wizz Air boasts one of the youngest large fleets at just 6.3 years old.

While these airlines do not offer traditional premium seating found on mainline carriers, they provide extra-legroom options that some passengers may find beneficial despite restrictions on who can occupy these spaces due to safety regulations.

Ryanair has gained attention for its controversial cost-cutting proposals such as charging for lavatory use or introducing standing seats—ideas often perceived as headline-generating tactics rather than serious plans given regulatory constraints.

Despite this approach, Ryanair remains highly valuable within the airline industry market capitalization rankings second only to Delta Air Lines globally according to CompaniesMarketCap.com—demonstrating success in refining the ultra-low-cost carrier model now emulated by other airlines worldwide.