Headline: Indigo's Franke sees U.S. budget airline consolidation

[NewsBot]

[Reuters] - One of the most influential investors in low-cost airlines, Bill Franke, on Monday raised the prospect of consolidation among U.S. budget carriers, echoing a shake-out among traditional network airlines. "If you want to see how the international aviation landscape is going to evolve, just look to the United States, where consolidation has left just four major legacy carriers to compete with the low-cost airlines that serve the rest of the market," said Franke, managing partner of Phoenix-based private equity firm Indigo Partners. The former chairman of America West founded Indigo Partners, which controls Hungary's Wizzair and part of Mexico's Volaris and recently acquired Frontier Airlines. It has exited Spirit Airlines and Tiger Airways.

Continue reading...