Not all airlines are equal, and while we all know budget carriers offer cheaper fares, there is quite a difference between national carriers, too.
Research from AirAdvisor, a global flight and baggage compensation service, has examined the revenue per average seat kilometre (RASK) data to rank 23 European airlines by how much passenger revenue they generate for each kilometre flown per available seat.
This data is an indication of how much passengers are paying to fly with an airline in relation to the distance travelled and seats available. It also includes the cost of extras such as luggage and seat fees, not just advertised ticket prices. So, in general, the higher the RASK, the more expensive the airline.
AirAdvisor’s sample consists of high-volume, major national and notable regional carriers, and found that smaller airlines typically come with heftier costs.
That’s because these airlines have “higher operating costs per passenger because they fly fewer routes, operate smaller fleets, and often serve remote or low-demand destinations,” AirAdvisor said.
“With fewer seats to sell and less competition on many routes, ticket prices are often higher,” it also said, adding that this isn’t always the case and travellers should always do their own research.
Overall, however, a year-on-year comparison from 2024 to 2025 found that RASK for most airlines had decreased. Out of the 14 airlines AirAdvisor was able to access year-on-year RASK data on, only five had increases while the remaining nine experienced decreases.
So, which European airlines come with heftier costs and which are more on the wallet-friendly side?
The most expensive carriers
With an RASK of €0.32, Widerøe is Europe’s most expensive airline.
If you haven’t heard of them before, the Norwegian carrier is the third largest in the country and primarily connects tiny regional airports, such as Båtsfjord, Leknes, and Namsos, to primary ones, although it does also operate a small number of international routes including to Aberdeen, Hamburg and London Southend.
Of the major airlines, Europe’s priciest national carrier is British Airways, with a RASK of €0.0888 in 2025 – up €0.0038 from the previous year.
Rounding out the continent’s top three most expensive carriers are Air France and Austrian Airlines, both of which have a RASK of €0.0850.
Wallet-friendlier airlines
On the flip side, with a RASK of just €0.0433, Wizz Air climbs to the top as the continent’s least expensive airline.
While the numbers may seem small, they can quickly add up: Choosing to fly with the Budapest-based airline over Air France could save you up to €50 based on the average European flight distances.
Europe’s second least expensive airline is easyJet, with a RASK that decreased from €0.0770 earlier in 2024 to €0.0521 in 2025.
Taking the third overall least expensive spot is Ryanair, whose RASK also decreased – from €0.0843 in 2024 down to €0.0556 in 2025.
Meanwhile, when it comes to the major national European airlines, Finnair emerges as the least expensive out of the 11 included in the study.
The overall ranking of European airlines based on revenue per average seat kilometre
1. Widerøe – €0.32 RASK
2. British Airways – €0.0888 RASK
3= Air France – €0.085 RASK
3= Austrian Airlines – €0.0085 RASK
5. Lufthansa – €0.0845 RASK
6. Aegean Airlines – €0.0839 RASK
7. KLM – €0.0837 RASK
8. ITA Airways – €0.0836 RASK
9. SWISS – €0.083 RASK
10. Aer Lingus – €0.0807 RASK
11. Brussels Airlines – €0.0797 RASK
12. Eurowings – €0.0782 RASK
13. SAS – €0.0758 RASK
14. Vueling – €0.079 RASK
15. Turkish Airlines – €0.0729 RASK
16. Iberia – €0.0708 RASK
17. TAP Portugal – €0.0696 RASK
18. Norwegian Air Shuttle – €0.068 RASK
19. Transavia – €0.0664 RASK
20. Finnair – €0.0622 RASK
21. Ryanair – €0.0556 RASK
22. easyJet – €0.0521 RASK
23. Wizz Air – €0.0433 RASK