BREAKING NEWS is the publication today by schedule provider OAG of its latest Quarterly Airline Traffic Statistics. The number of so-called budget airline flights has more than doubled in just five years, according to these latest figures. This month budget airlines plan to operate more than 300,000 flights, compared with 142,000 in April 2001. The volume of low cost flights worldwide is 13% higher than the April 2005 figure, which in turn was 19% higher than in April 2004. Overall, the number of worldwide services remains static at around 2.3m, although the number of seats on sale is 2% higher than in April 2005, at nearly 226.3m. High fuel costs are having an effect says OAG. Seat capacity has increased but flight numbers have remained static. April sees a 13% increase in flights to and from the Asia-Pacific region, while intercontinental services to and from both Europe and Africa are up 10%. The number of US domestic flights ” which constitute by far the largest air transport market in the world ” is 6% lower than in April 2005.