Low-cost carriers, also known as LCCs, are short-haul airlines that typically offer lower fares than the major full-service carriers. By trimming away non-essential luxuries from their services, LCCs are able to offer excellent low-priced fares to travellers who don’t require the frills.

While LCCs have operated in Europe and North America for several decades, their growth in Asia began in earnest only in 2000. Since then, Asian LCCs have flourished due to high demand for short-haul travel in the region—and travellers have benefited as a result.

Many of Asia’s top LCCs fly to/from Singapore Changi Airport, providing great deals on direct flights to a wide range of popular destinations. Changi Airport’s Budget Terminal, which opened in 2006, was designed specifically for use by LCCs and can handle 2.7 million passengers per year. As a hub for LCCs, Singapore attracts many travellers from around the world who fly in on major airlines from their home countries and then use LCC flights to explore Asia.