Why most low-cost airlines avoid using widebody aircraft

Fleet commonality is another cornerstone strategy for LCCs. By focusing on a single aircraft family, they reduce costs associated with pilot training, maintenance procedures, spare parts inventory, and vendor contracts. This model allows for greater scheduling flexibility and easier recovery from operational disruptions.

There are risks to this approach; relying on one aircraft type exposes an airline to issues if that model faces safety or regulatory problems—as seen when Boeing 737 MAX operators had to ground large portions of their fleets before the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the overall savings from streamlined operations usually outweigh these risks for most LCCs.

The preference for narrowbody aircraft among LCCs is largely due to economic considerations. Narrowbodies are less expensive to acquire or lease than widebodies and consume less fuel per trip. They require fewer crew members per flight and can be turned around quickly at airports—enabling airlines to operate more flights per day at lower costs.

Widebody aircraft introduce added complexity and risk into an LCC’s operations. They are suited mainly for long-haul routes where passenger demand consistently exceeds 300 seats year-round or where airport slot constraints make larger planes more efficient than multiple smaller ones. Long-range narrowbodies like the Airbus A321XLR allow some budget airlines to serve longer routes without adopting widebody fleets.

Despite these challenges, some low-cost or long-haul low-cost carriers do operate widebody jets under specific circumstances:

- AirAsia X uses Airbus A330-300s from Kuala Lumpur.

- Scoot (owned by Singapore Airlines) operates Boeing 787 services out of Singapore.

- Jetstar Airways (a Qantas Group subsidiary) uses Boeing 787s on its long-haul network.

- Japan’s ZIPAIR Tokyo and AirJapan both use Boeing 787-8s on regional long-haul flights.

- French Bee flies Airbus A350s as part of its low-cost widebody fleet in Europe.

- LEVEL (an IAG subsidiary) operates Airbus A330-200s from Barcelona.

- Norse Atlantic utilizes Boeing 787-9 jets between Europe and North America.

- Cebu Pacific deploys high-density Airbus A330-900neos in emerging markets.

- Saudi Arabia’s Flynas uses Airbus A330 jets seasonally.

For most major North American or European LCCs, however, there are no plans to adopt large widebody fleets in the near future.

"At the end of the day, low-cost carriers are designed to reduce operating expenses as much as possible. They compete for passenger traffic with major legacy airlines by offering discounted fares and often more convenient air service."

"The low-cost model requires incredible flexibility, and it mandates that airlines are capable of serving destinations all across a given region. Rarely is long-haul service a requirement for these kinds of carriers."

"Therefore, it has become relatively uncommon to see a budget airline operate a large widebody fleet. That certainly is not in the works for any major low-cost or ultra-low-cost carriers in North America or Europe any time soon."