IAG has big plans for Level and with a new dedicated CEO, we can expect further expansion. The only question is what would happen to the carrier if the airline group added Norwegian to its growing family.
Air France-KLM is being much more cautious than its rivals on the subject of low-cost long-haul. Joon isn't the long-term answer and Air France-Klm needs to come up with something better if it is going to compete against Norwegian and others.
IAG's testing of the low-cost, long-haul market with a virtual airline seems to have paid off. Its success shows that the model is here to stay. We'll be keeping a close eye on how this affects the legacy carriers, including those in IAG's own brand stable.
Is Level a legitimate attempt by International Airlines Group to build a long-haul, low-cost carrier? Or is it a "fighting brand" designed to make Norwegian Air's expansion more challenging? Time will tell.
It's been a quick turnaround for IAG, which only announced plans for a low-cost, long-haul airline in December. The legacy carriers have clearly been spooked by Norwegian's initiatives and are now working to compete in this new landscape.