China's budget airlines spreading their wings, adding new routes

Beijing

XIA Lili, marketing chief at a privately-owned Shanghai software firm switched to flying with Spring Airlines after China's first low-cost carrier took off in 2010. Her company has since made it mandatory for staff to use budget airlines when available, and has cut its travel costs by a fifth.

Ms Xia and her colleagues are among an increasing number of Chinese who are fuelling fast growth in what is often called the "last" big market ripe for low-cost carrier penetration.