A-Level Economics Edexcel A: Case Study 5

Do airline price wars really benefit passengers, or can too much competition cause problems for businesses and consumers?

This Edexcel A-Level Economics A (9EC0) case study explores competition in the airline industry, using real passenger market-share data from London Gatwick Airport.

Students will investigate how airlines compete, why new businesses can struggle to enter the market and whether lower ticket prices always benefit consumers. It’s a useful way to bring topics such as oligopoly, barriers to entry, economies of scale and pricing strategies into a real-world setting.

What’s included:

• A one-page case study with a short, accessible extract and real airline passenger data.

• Three original Edexcel-style questions worth 5, 8 and 12 marks (25 marks in total).

• A full mark scheme showing the economic points students could make.

• Clear assessment objective allocations and level descriptors for the extended response.

Specification coverage:

• 3.3 Revenues, Costs and Profits

• 3.4 Market Structures

The questions give students practice interpreting market concentration data, examining barriers to entry and evaluating the benefits and drawbacks of increased price competition.

This resource works well as a classroom activity, homework task, timed exam practice or independent revision. It encourages students to go beyond memorising definitions and apply economic theory to the decisions businesses make in competitive markets.

Suitable for Edexcel A-Level Economics A students preparing for the 2027 exams.

Part of our 10-case-study Edexcel Economics A bundle, designed to give students focused, realistic exam practice across the specification.