The influence of low-cost airlines on the mobility of students at the University of Zagreb

Abstract

Tema ovoga prvostupničkoga rada je istraživanje u kolikoj mjeri niskotarifne (low-cost) aviokompanije utječu na mobilnost studenata u Zagrebu, poglavito sa zagrebačkoga Prirodoslovno – matematičkoga fakulteta. Niskotarifne aviokompanije su zadnjih 15-ak godina postale izrazito popularne u Europi, pa tako i u Hrvatskoj zbog niskih cijena letova koje pružaju u odnosu na uobičajene full service (puna usluga) aviokompanije. Zbog toga se u sklopu ovoga rada provela Google anketa koju su ispunjavali studenti PMF-a kako bi se istražilo da li je to utjecalo na veće korištenje aviokompanija takve vrste od strane studenata. Uzorak je sakupljen na studentima s različitih fakultetskih odsjeka (Geografskoga, Biološkoga, Kemijskoga i Matematičkoga). U anketi su se ispitivali motivi i učestalost putovanja studenata, najčešće odredište putovanja zrakoplovom, njihovi stavovi u odnosu na temu rada te preferiraju li niskotarifne ili full-service aviokompanije. Rezultati ankete podvrgavaju se daljnjoj analizi i na temelju njih se zaključuje utječu li niskotarifne aviokompanije te u kolikoj mjeri na mobilnost studenata navedenog fakulteta. Isto tako se procjenjuje koliki će taj utjecaj biti u budućnosti. U radu se također objašnjava način rada niskotarifnih aviokompanija, na koji način uspijevaju drastično smanjivati cijene te njihov položaj u Hrvatskoj.The topic of the Undergraduate Thesis is to explore the extent to which low-cost airlines affect the mobility of students in Zagreb, i.e. from the Zagreb's Faculty of Science. Low-cost airlines have become extremely popular in Europe in the last 15 years, also in Croatia due to the low prices they provide in relation to the usual airlines. For this reason, an online survey was conducted for the students of the Faculty of Science to investigate whether it influenced the students to use more of this kind of airlines. The sample was collected on students from different faculty departments (geographic, biological, chemical and mathematical). The survey examined the motives and frequency of student travel, where they usually travel by airplane, their attitudes related to the topic, and whether they prefer more low-cost or full-service airlines. The results of the survey are further analyzed and based on these, it is concluded whether low-cost airlines affect the mobility of the students of the mentioned faculty and to what extent. It is also estimated how big this impact will be in the future. This paper also explains the way that low-cost airlines operate and how they manage to drastically lower their prices and their position in Croatia