Low-fare airlines now carry the majority of passengers flying from the UK , the latest figures show.
Of the 93 million passengers who started their journey at a UK airport last year, 52% were flying with budget carriers, according to statistics from travel industry technology company Amadeus.
That compares to 48 per cent using no-frills airlines in the previous year.
Budget airlines such as Ryanair and Easyjet now carry the majority of UK passengers
The total number of flights from UK airports rose by 2 per cent from 2011.
Across Europe, budget firms made up to 38 per cent of flights in 2012, the biggest share of the market for low-cost carriers in any global region.
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In North America, budget airlines' market share was 30.2 per cent, and in Asia it was 18.6 per cent.
Worldwide 2.48billion passengers travelled by air last year.
WHERE THE UK STANDS IN EUROPEAN RANKINGS
Departure Country % low cost airline flights
Spain and Canary Islands 57%
United Kingdom 52%
Italy 48%
Norway 48%
Poland 48%
Cyprus 44%
Ireland 43%
Germany 42%
Portugal 38%
Netherlands 35%
Belgium 34%
Austria 31%
Switzerland 30%
Sweden 29%
Denmark 28%
Greece 27%
France 23%
Finland 19%
Data is the percentage share of all passenger movements made on Low Cost Carriers for air travel departing from each country. Source: Amadeus