Wizz Air, legally incorporated as Wizz Air Hungary Ltd. ( hu, Wizz Air Hungary Légiközlekedési
Zrt.) is a
Hungarian ultra-low-cost carrier with its head office in
Budapest
Budapest (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Hungary. It is the ninth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits and the second-largest city on the Danube river; the city has an estimated population o ...
,
Hungary
Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Cr ...
. The airline serves many cities across Europe, as well as some destinations in
North Africa
North Africa, or Northern Africa is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region, and it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of Mauritania in ...
, the
Middle East
The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabian Peninsula, Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Anatolia, Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Pro ...
, and
South Asia
South Asia is the southern subregion of Asia, which is defined in both geographical and ethno-cultural terms. The region consists of the countries of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.;;;;; ...
.
It has the largest fleet of any
Hungarian airline, although it is not a
flag carrier
A flag carrier is a transport company, such as an airline or shipping company, that, being locally registered in a given sovereign state, enjoys preferential rights or privileges accorded by the government for international operations.
Hi ...
, and serves 44 countries.
Its
Jersey
Jersey ( , ; nrf, Jèrri, label= Jèrriais ), officially the Bailiwick of Jersey (french: Bailliage de Jersey, links=no; Jèrriais: ), is an island country and self-governing Crown Dependency near the coast of north-west France. It is the ...
-based parent company, Wizz Air Holdings plc, is listed on the
London Stock Exchange
London Stock Exchange (LSE) is a stock exchange in the City of London, England, United Kingdom. , the total market value of all companies trading on LSE was £3.9 trillion. Its current premises are situated in Paternoster Square close to St Pau ...
and is a constituent of the
FTSE 250 Index
The FTSE 250 Index ( "Footsie") is a capitalisation-weighted index consisting of the 101st to the 350th largest companies listed on the London Stock Exchange. Promotions and demotions to and from the index occur quarterly in March, June, Septem ...
. As of 2020, the airline has its largest bases at
Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport
Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport ( hu, Budapest Liszt Ferenc Nemzetközi Repülőtér) , formerly known as ''Budapest Ferihegy International Airport'' and still commonly called just ''Ferihegy'', is the international airport serving t ...
and
London Luton Airport
London Luton Airport is an international airport located in Luton, Bedfordshire, England, situated east of the town centre, and north of Central London. The airport is owned by London Luton Airport Ltd (LLAL), a company wholly owned by ...
and flies to 164 airports.
History
Foundation and expansion
The airline was established in September 2003. The lead investor is
Indigo Partners
Indigo Partners, LLC is an American private equity firm which has a controlling interest in the American Frontier Airlines and Chilean low-cost JetSmart, as well as holding stakes in Mexican budget airline Volaris and European low-cost carrier ...
, an American private equity firm specialising in transportation investments. The first flight was made from
Katowice International Airport
Katowice Wojciech Korfanty Airport ( pl, Katowice Airport im. Wojciecha Korfantego) is an international airport, located in Pyrzowice, north of Katowice, Poland. The airport has the 4th-biggest annual passenger flow in Poland. Katowice Airpor ...
on 19 May 2004. The airline's
CEO
A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especially ...
is
József Váradi
József János Váradi (born 21 September 1965) is a Hungarian businessman, who co-founded Wizz Air and has served as its chief executive officer (CEO) since 2003.
Early life
Váradi was born in Debrecen, Hungary in 1965. His father took part ...
, former CEO of
Malév Hungarian Airlines
MALÉV Ltd. ( hu, Malév Zrt.), which did business as MALÉV Hungarian Airlines ( hu, Magyar Légiközlekedési Vállalat, abbreviated ''MALÉV'', ), was the flag carrier of Hungary from 1946 until 2012. Its head office was in Budapest, with i ...
. The company is registered in
Pest County, Hungary.
On 25 February 2015, Wizz Air shares began trading on the
London Stock Exchange
London Stock Exchange (LSE) is a stock exchange in the City of London, England, United Kingdom. , the total market value of all companies trading on LSE was £3.9 trillion. Its current premises are situated in Paternoster Square close to St Pau ...
.
In November 2017, Wizz Air announced its planned launch of a British division called
Wizz Air UK
Wizz Air UK Ltd. is a British airline and subsidiary of low-cost airline Wizz Air, using its corporate identity. Founded to enable Wizz Air to retain full UK market access post-Brexit, the airline operates flights from three bases in the UK. It ...
, based at
London Luton
London Luton Airport is an international airport located in Luton, Bedfordshire, England, situated east of the town centre, and north of Central London. The airport is owned by London Luton Airport Ltd (LLAL), a company wholly owned by L ...
mainly to take advantage of
landing slots __NOTOC__
A landing slot, takeoff slot, or airport slot is a permission granted by the owner of an airport designated as Level 3 (Coordinated Airport), which allows the grantee to schedule a landing or departure at that airport during a specific t ...
acquired when
Monarch Airlines entered administration that year. The airline applied successfully to the
CAA for an
AOC
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (; ; born October 13, 1989), also known by her initials AOC, is an American politician and activist. She has served as the U.S. representative for New York's 14th congressional district since 2019, as a member of ...
and a Type A Operating Licence. The airline launched operations in March 2018 using British registered aircraft. Wizz Air UK was to start taking over UK-bound flights previously operated by Wizz Air, and plans called for the airline to employ up to 100 staff by the end of 2018.
In November 2018, Wizz Air announced plans to reactivate its
Wizz Air Ukraine
Wizz Air Ukraine ( uk, Товариство з обмеженою відповідальністю „Авіалінії Візз Ейр Україна”) was the Ukrainian division of the Hungarian low-cost airline Wizz Air based at Kyiv Inte ...
subsidiary, approximately three years after its closure. The airline would seek to complete certification in 2019 following the acquisition of twenty
A320/321 neo jets. Bases were to be developed in Kyiv and cities across the country, with a planned passenger throughput of 6 million per annum by 2025.
Pandemic and survival
By early 2020, the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
created a case of
force majeure in European aviation, gradually forcing airline fleets to land, including the majority of Wizz Air aircraft. Although it was announced in March that no redundancies were planned, one-fifth of the staff was redeemed when it became clear that air travel across the continent was shutting down. In April 2020, based on passenger numbers, Wizz Air became Europe's largest low-cost airline with 78,000 passengers. By mid-June, they had reached 40 percent of their previous year's normal weekly revenue, while the proportion of
no-shows fell from 80 percent in April to 30 percent. In July 2020, the airline announced that it will form a
joint venture
A joint venture (JV) is a business entity created by two or more parties, generally characterized by shared ownership, shared returns and economic risk, risks, and shared governance. Companies typically pursue joint ventures for one of four rea ...
with the Abu Dhabi Developmental Holding Company.
In October 2020, Wizz took delivery of an
A330-200F cargo aircraft
A cargo aircraft (also known as freight aircraft, freighter, airlifter or cargo jet) is a fixed-wing aircraft that is designed or converted for the carriage of cargo rather than passengers. Such aircraft usually do not incorporate passenger ...
(HA-LHU, formerly
Qatar Cargo), operating it on behalf of the
Hungarian Government
The Government of Hungary ( hu, Magyarország Kormánya) exercises executive power in Hungary. It is led by the Prime Minister, and is composed of various ministers. It is the principal organ of public administration. The Prime Minister (''miniszt ...
as 'Hungary Air Cargo'. The same month, it announced that its first
Scandinavia
Scandinavia; Sámi languages: /. ( ) is a subregion in Northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. In English usage, ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, Norway, and Swe ...
n base would be opened at
Oslo's Gardermoen Airport in November 2020; the two aircraft based there would also undertake domestic flights within
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the ...
. However, ticket sales for domestic flights after 13 June 2021 were subsequently stopped.
In 2020, Wizz Air carried a total of 16.6 million passengers, 42 per cent of the 40 million passengers of the previous year. At the same time, the airline also tried to view the pandemic as an opportunity, opening 260 new routes and 13 bases, one of them at London's second largest airport,
Gatwick
Gatwick Airport (), also known as London Gatwick , is a major international airport near Crawley, West Sussex, England, south of Central London. In 2021, Gatwick was the third-busiest airport by total passenger traffic in the UK, after H ...
.
In the spring of 2021, as the third wave of the coronavirus epidemic arrived, the airline's CEO pitched Wizz Air to investors as a "rare ray of investment hope". He said that he hoped that air transport would be restored by 2024–2025, and that he was confident that Wizz Air would be the only airline to continue its investments, made possible by the fact that it had the highest
liquidity
Liquidity is a concept in economics involving the convertibility of assets and obligations. It can include:
* Market liquidity, the ease with which an asset can be sold
* Accounting liquidity, the ability to meet cash obligations when due
* Liq ...
in the entire airline industry.
Wizz Air has prioritised fleet development and airport construction in its investments, with the opening of
Brașov Airport planned for November 2022.
Renewed expansion
On 3 February 2021, Wizz Air announced the opening of its second base in
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and H ...
, after
Tuzla
Tuzla (, ) is the third-largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the administrative center of Tuzla Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. As of 2013, it has a population of 110,979 inhabitants.
Tuzla is the economic, cultural, e ...
; the airline would open a base at
Sarajevo
Sarajevo ( ; cyrl, Сарајево, ; ''see names in other languages'') is the capital and largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a population of 275,524 in its administrative limits. The Sarajevo metropolitan area including Sarajevo ...
with one
Airbus A320
The Airbus A320 family is a series of narrow-body airliners developed and produced by Airbus.
The A320 was launched in March 1984, first flew on 22 February 1987, and was introduced in April 1988 by Air France.
The first member of the famil ...
. The airline announced nine new destinations from Sarajevo with 21 weekly departures.
In April 2021, as planned, Wizz Air added Abu Dhabi to its services, offering connections to Europe beyond the
UAE
The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia (The Middle East). It is located at th ...
to neighbouring
Arab countries
The Arab world ( ar, اَلْعَالَمُ الْعَرَبِيُّ '), formally the Arab homeland ( '), also known as the Arab nation ( '), the Arabsphere, or the Arab states, refers to a vast group of countries, mainly located in Western As ...
.
By July 2021, Wizz Air had reached their 2019 capacity.
Their plan was to develop their fleet of 140 aircraft to a capacity of 500 by the end of the
decade
A decade () is a period of ten years. Decades may describe any ten-year period, such as those of a person's life, or refer to specific groupings of calendar years.
Usage
Any period of ten years is a "decade". For example, the statement that "du ...
.
In August 2021, company management announced that they plan to hire 4,600 new pilots by 2030, with the first part of their plan to train and hire nearly 500 pilots by the end of 2021.
In September 2021, rival low-cost carrier
EasyJet
EasyJet plc (styled as easyJet) is a British multinational low-cost airline group headquartered at London Luton Airport. It operates domestic and international scheduled services on 927 routes in more than 34 countries via its affiliate airli ...
claimed it had rejected a takeover offer from Wizz Air.
On 14 November 2021, on the first day of the
Dubai Airshow
The Dubai Airshow ( ar, معرض دبي للطيران) is a biennial air show held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates under the patronage of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, in ...
, Wizz Air was one of four airlines that ordered additional A321neo jets. Wizz Air is due to receive a total of 75 A321neo and 27 A321XLRs, adding up to 102 new aircraft.
In May 2022, Wizz Air said it had signed a
memorandum of understanding with
Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Investment
The Ministry of Investment ( Indonesian: ''Kementerian Investasi'') is a government ministry formed by the Indonesian government in 2021. The ministry responsible for investment affairs and facilitating easiness of investment in Indonesia.
Histor ...
to collaborate on potential investment and operating models to boost the country's tourism industry and increase its connectivity. The same month, the company announced its intention to form a subsidiary in Malta, named
Wizz Air Malta.
In August 2022, it was announced that former Ryanair executive Diarmuid O Conghaile would join the newly formed company as managing director from 1 November 2022.
War situation
Following the
2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
On 24 February 2022, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, which began in 2014. The invasion has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths on both sides. It has caused Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II. ...
, four Wizz Air aircraft were stranded in
Ukraine
Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...
, three in
Kyiv
Kyiv, also spelled Kiev, is the capital and most populous city of Ukraine. It is in north-central Ukraine along the Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2021, its population was 2,962,180, making Kyiv the seventh-most populous city in Europe.
Kyi ...
and one in
Lviv
Lviv ( uk, Львів) is the largest city in western Ukraine, and the seventh-largest in Ukraine, with a population of . It serves as the administrative centre of Lviv Oblast and Lviv Raion, and is one of the main cultural centres of Ukrain ...
.
Flying was curtailed for two weeks by the outbreak of war, but Wizz Air soon returned to normal operations with the exception of the Ukrainian and Russian markets, which remained suspended.
In March 2022, amid the invasion, Wizz Air provided 100,000 free airline tickets to
refugees for short-distance flights from
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...
,
Slovakia
Slovakia (; sk, Slovensko ), officially the Slovak Republic ( sk, Slovenská republika, links=no ), is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the s ...
,
Hungary
Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Cr ...
and
Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Moldova to the east, and ...
.
Corporate affairs
Head office
Since March 2015, Wizz Air's head office has been in Laurus Offices (''Laurus Irodaház''), Building B,
Budapest
Budapest (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Hungary. It is the ninth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits and the second-largest city on the Danube river; the city has an estimated population o ...
. Previously headquartered at
Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport
Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport ( hu, Budapest Liszt Ferenc Nemzetközi Repülőtér) , formerly known as ''Budapest Ferihegy International Airport'' and still commonly called just ''Ferihegy'', is the international airport serving t ...
,
[Property development]
." (
also see image
) Budapest Liszt Ferenc International Airport. Retrieved on 11 December 2011. Wizz Air signed the Laurus lease in October 2010 and moved there with 150 employees in June 2011. The airline occupied over of space in an office building refurbished after the airline's arrival. The facility, with
open-plan offices, housed about 150 employees.
Before the time its head office was at the airport, it was in the Airport Business Park C2 in
Vecsés
Vecsés (german: Wetschesch) is a town of 20,550 inhabitants in Budapest metropolitan area, Pest County, Hungary, situated adjacent to Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport.
History
The village was first mentioned in records in 1318. In ...
, close to the airport.
Operations
As is common with European low-cost carriers, Wizz Air prefers operating out of smaller or secondary airports to reduce costs and fees. It also has a
buy-on-board food service called Wizz Café, and a service called Wizz Boutique for other items.
On 8 June 2022, the company signed a memorandum of understanding with European aircraft manufacturer
Airbus
Airbus SE (; ; ; ) is a European multinational aerospace corporation. Airbus designs, manufactures and sells civil and military aerospace products worldwide and manufactures aircraft throughout the world. The company has three divisions: ' ...
to work on the development of
hydrogen-powered aircraft
A hydrogen-powered aircraft is an aeroplane that uses hydrogen fuel as a power source. Hydrogen can either be burned in a jet engine or another kind of internal combustion engine, or can be used to power a fuel cell to generate electricity to powe ...
.
Subsidiaries
;Current subsidiaries
*
Wizz Air Abu Dhabi
Wizz Air Abu Dhabi LLC is an Emirati scheduled low-cost airline based at Abu Dhabi International Airport, UAE. The airline is a joint venture with state-owned ADQ (formerly, Abu Dhabi Developmental Holding Company, ADDH), which owns 51 percent ...
was founded on 12 December 2019 as Wizz Air's
UAE
The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia (The Middle East). It is located at th ...
subsidiary. The airline is a joint venture with state-owned Abu Dhabi Development Holding, ADDH, which owns 51 per cent.
Flights are operated from
Abu Dhabi International Airport
Abu Dhabi International Airport ( ar, مطار أبو ظبي الدولي) is an international airport in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates.
The airport, located east of Abu Dhabi city, is the second largest ...
to destinations in Europe, Asia and Africa.
*
Wizz Air UK
Wizz Air UK Ltd. is a British airline and subsidiary of low-cost airline Wizz Air, using its corporate identity. Founded to enable Wizz Air to retain full UK market access post-Brexit, the airline operates flights from three bases in the UK. It ...
was founded on 18 October 2017 as Wizz Air's
UK unit, following
CAA approval the subsidiary commenced operations with 10 registered aircraft initially. The unit is currently operating flights from and to Luton on behalf of its Hungarian parent and has been set up to ensure Wizz Air retains full market access to the United Kingdom following
Brexit
Brexit (; a portmanteau of "British exit") was the withdrawal of the United Kingdom (UK) from the European Union (EU) at 23:00 GMT on 31 January 2020 (00:00 1 February 2020 CET).The UK also left the European Atomic Energy Community (EAEC ...
.
*
Wizz Air Malta was founded in 2022 and operated its first flight on 27 September 2022 from
Rome Fiumicino
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus (legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
to
Malta International Airport
Malta International Airport ( mt, L-Ajruport Internazzjonali ta' Malta, ) is the only airport in Malta and it serves the whole of the Maltese Islands.
It is located on the island of Malta, southwest of the Maltese capital Valletta, in the town ...
. The company's Air Operator Certificate was issues by the
European Union Aviation Safety Agency
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) is an agency of the European Union (EU) with responsibility for civil aviation safety. It carries out certification, regulation and standardisation and also performs investigation and monitorin ...
(EASA) and its Operating Licence by the Malta Civil Aviation Directorate.
;Former subsidiaries
*
Wizz Air Bulgaria
Wizz Air Bulgaria Airlines EAD was the Bulgarian division of the Hungarian Wizz Air.
History
The Bulgarian company was awarded licenses to begin services to Greece, Turkey and Moldova in 2006.
In 2011 Wizz Air Bulgaria merged with its parent for ...
was Wizz Air's
Bulgaria
Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedo ...
n unit set-up in 2005 and based at
Sofia Airport
Sofia Airport ( bg, Летище София, translit=Letishte Sofiya) is the main international airport of Bulgaria, located east of the centre of the capital Sofia. In 2019 the airport surpassed 7 million passengers for the first time. The ai ...
with a fleet of 3 aircraft. It ceased operations on 31 March 2011, all flights merged back into Wizz Air Hungary Ltd.
*Wizz Air Romania
was a planned
Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Moldova to the east, and ...
n unit to be based at
Timișoara Traian Vuia International Airport. However, this sub-unit never started operations and a base was established there instead of under Wizz Air Hungary Ltd.
*
Wizz Air Ukraine
Wizz Air Ukraine ( uk, Товариство з обмеженою відповідальністю „Авіалінії Візз Ейр Україна”) was the Ukrainian division of the Hungarian low-cost airline Wizz Air based at Kyiv Inte ...
, founded in 2008, was the
Ukrainian
Ukrainian may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to Ukraine
* Something relating to Ukrainians, an East Slavic people from Eastern Europe
* Something relating to demographics of Ukraine in terms of demography and population of Ukraine
* So ...
unit of Wizz Air, which had its own air operator's certificate and operated from
Kyiv Zhuliany International Airport
Ihor Sikorsky Kyiv International Airport (Zhuliany) ( uk, Міжнародний аеропорт «Київ» імені Ігоря Сікорського (Жуляни)) is one of the two passenger airports of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, the ...
and
Lviv International Airport
Lviv Danylo Halytskyi International Airport ( ua, Міжнародний аеропорт "Львів" імені Данила Галицького) is an international airport in Lviv, Ukraine. The airport is second largest and busiest airpor ...
with a fleet of 4 aircraft. As a result of the economic crisis caused by the
Russo-Ukrainian War
The Russo-Ukrainian War; uk, російсько-українська війна, rosiisko-ukrainska viina. has been ongoing between Russia (alongside Russian separatists in Ukraine) and Ukraine since February 2014. Following Ukraine's Rev ...
, Wizz Air Ukraine was terminated on 19 April 2015. Some routes to and from Kyiv were taken over by Wizz Air Hungary Ltd, while all others ceased. The airline eventually began expanding once again in Ukraine.
As of October 2016, it operated flights to 13 cities in 7 countries from Kyiv.
Destinations
![WizzAir map](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fc/WizzAir_map.svg)
Wizz Air started new services between
Katowice and London Luton in 2008. In January 2008, flights started from Gdansk to
Gothenburg, Bournemouth and Coventry. In summer 2008, Wizz Air restarted summer seasonal services from Katowice and Budapest to
Girona
Girona (officially and in Catalan , Spanish: ''Gerona'' ) is a city in northern Catalonia, Spain, at the confluence of the Ter, Onyar, Galligants, and Güell rivers. The city had an official population of 103,369 in 2020. Girona is the capital ...
, as well as a new weekly service to Girona from
Gdańsk. Other summer services from Budapest are
Heraklion
Heraklion or Iraklion ( ; el, Ηράκλειο, , ) is the largest city and the administrative capital of the island of Crete and capital of Heraklion regional unit. It is the fourth largest city in Greece with a population of 211,370 (Urban Ar ...
,
Corfu,
Burgas
Burgas ( bg, Бургас, ), sometimes transliterated as ''Bourgas'', is the second largest city on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast in the region of Northern Thrace and the fourth-largest in Bulgaria after Sofia, Plovdiv, and Varna, with a pop ...
and
Varna
Varna may refer to:
Places Europe
*Varna, Bulgaria, a city in Bulgaria
**Varna Province
**Varna Municipality
** Gulf of Varna
**Lake Varna
**Varna Necropolis
*Vahrn, or Varna, a municipality in Italy
*Varniai, a city in Lithuania
* Varna (Šaba ...
; from Katowice to Crete-Heraklion and Burgas; and Warsaw to Corfu and Burgas. It also restarted its three-times-weekly service from
London–Luton to Burgas. On 2 October 2008, Wizz Air announced that a number of its Romanian services would have increased frequency following an order for three Airbus A320 aircraft.
In February 2012, Wizz Air announced that it would start flights from
Debrecen International Airport
Debrecen International Airport is the international airport of Debrecen in the Hajdú-Bihar County of Hungary. It is the second largest airport in Hungary, after Budapest and ahead of Hévíz–Balaton. Debrecen is the second largest city ...
to London, beginning 18 June 2012. On 11 September 2012, Wizz Air announced new routes to and from
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv-Yafo ( he, תֵּל־אָבִיב-יָפוֹ, translit=Tēl-ʾĀvīv-Yāfō ; ar, تَلّ أَبِيب – يَافَا, translit=Tall ʾAbīb-Yāfā, links=no), often referred to as just Tel Aviv, is the most populous city in the ...
, Israel.
On 12 April 2013, Wizz Air announced that it would start flights from
Budapest Airport
Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport ( hu, Budapest Liszt Ferenc Nemzetközi Repülőtér) , formerly known as ''Budapest Ferihegy International Airport'' and still commonly called just ''Ferihegy'', is the international airport serving t ...
to Baku's
Heydar Aliyev International Airport
Heydar Aliyev International Airport ( az, Heydar Aliyev adına Beynəlxalq Hava Limanı) (IATA: GYD, ICAO: UBBB) is one of the seven international airports serving Azerbaijan. Formerly, it was called Bina International Airport after a suburb of ...
starting from 17 June 2013. On 26 June 2013, Wizz Air announced entry into the
Slovakia
Slovakia (; sk, Slovensko ), officially the Slovak Republic ( sk, Slovenská republika, links=no ), is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the s ...
n market, adding one new route from
Košice International Airport
Košice International Airport ( sk, Medzinárodné letisko Košice) is an international airport serving Košice, Slovakia. It is the second largest international airport in Slovakia. It is located to the south of St Elisabeth Cathedral, above ...
starting from September 2013.
In October 2013 Wizz Air launched flights to Dubai from Bucharest, Budapest, Kyiv and Sofia.
On 26 June 2015, the airline opened its 19th base at
Tuzla International Airport
Tuzla International Airport ( bs, Međunarodni aerodrom Tuzla/Међународни аеродром Тузла); is an airport near Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Tuzla International Airport is the second largest airport in Bosnia and Herzegov ...
in Bosnia and Herzegovina and deployed one new Airbus A320 aircraft at the airport. With one aircraft stationed at the airport, Wizz Air opened new routes to
Memmingen Airport
Memmingen Airport , also known as ''Allgäu Airport Memmingen'', is an international airport in the town of Memmingerberg near Memmingen, the third-largest city in the Swabia region of Bavaria. It is the smallest of the three commercial airpor ...
(near Munich) and
Sandefjord Airport, Torp
Sandefjord Airport, Torp ( no, Sandefjord lufthavn, Torp; ) is an international airport located northeast of Sandefjord, Norway and south of Oslo. The airport features a runway aligned 18/36. Torp partially serves as a regional airport for Ve ...
(near Oslo), commencing on 26 June 2015, as well as to
Frankfurt–Hahn Airport
Frankfurt–Hahn Airport (german: link=no, Flughafen Frankfurt-Hahn, ) is an international airport in the municipality of Hahn, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.
The airport is from the town of Kirchberg and from both Simmern and Traben-Trarb ...
and
Stockholm Skavsta Airport, commencing on 28 June 2015.
In February 2016, Wizz Air announced a new base at
David the Builder Kutaisi International Airport (serving
Kutaisi in
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
Georgia may also refer to:
Places
Historical states and entities
* Related to the ...
).
In October 2016 Wizz Air announced a new base at
Chișinău International Airport
Chișinău International Airport is Moldova's main international airport, located southeast of the centre of Chișinău, the capital city. It serves as headquarters for Air Moldova, the country's national airline. The IATA airport code KIV is ...
(serving
Chișinău) in
Moldova
Moldova ( , ; ), officially the Republic of Moldova ( ro, Republica Moldova), is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Romania to the west and Ukraine to the north, east, and south. The unrecognised state of Transnistr ...
.
In December 2016, Wizz Air announced a new base in
Varna
Varna may refer to:
Places Europe
*Varna, Bulgaria, a city in Bulgaria
**Varna Province
**Varna Municipality
** Gulf of Varna
**Lake Varna
**Varna Necropolis
*Vahrn, or Varna, a municipality in Italy
*Varniai, a city in Lithuania
* Varna (Šaba ...
, Bulgaria.
In February 2017, Wizz Air announced a new base at
London Luton Airport
London Luton Airport is an international airport located in Luton, Bedfordshire, England, situated east of the town centre, and north of Central London. The airport is owned by London Luton Airport Ltd (LLAL), a company wholly owned by ...
in the United Kingdom.
Also in 2017, the company added three new routes, to
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv-Yafo ( he, תֵּל־אָבִיב-יָפוֹ, translit=Tēl-ʾĀvīv-Yāfō ; ar, تَلّ أَبِيب – يَافَا, translit=Tall ʾAbīb-Yāfā, links=no), often referred to as just Tel Aviv, is the most populous city in the ...
, Israel;
Pristina
Pristina, ; sr, / (, ) is the capital and largest city of Kosovo. The city's municipal boundaries in Pristina District form the largest urban center in Kosovo. After Tirana, Pristina has the second largest population of ethnic Albanians an ...
,
Kosovo
Kosovo ( sq, Kosova or ; sr-Cyrl, Косово ), officially the Republic of Kosovo ( sq, Republika e Kosovës, links=no; sr, Република Косово, Republika Kosovo, links=no), is a partially recognised state in Southeast Euro ...
; and
Kutaisi,
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
Georgia may also refer to:
Places
Historical states and entities
* Related to the ...
, for a total of over 500 routes.
In January 2018, Wizz Air announced a new base at
Vienna International Airport
Vienna International Airport (german: Flughafen Wien-Schwechat; ) is the international airport of Vienna, the capital of Austria, located in Schwechat, southeast of central Vienna and west of Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia. It is the ...
in Austria. Three Airbus 320/321 are planned to be based in Vienna and the company will operate a total of 17 new routes from the Austrian capital.
In November 2018, the airline announced it would open a base at
Kraków John Paul II International Airport in Poland, starting with 12 routes.
In May 2021, Wizz Air announced the termination of all its domestic routes in
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the ...
, which had been operating for less than a year.
In March 2022, Wizz Air announced that it will commence scheduled flights to the city of
Hambantota
Hambantota ( si, හම්බන්තොට, ta, அம்பாந்தோட்டை) is the main town in Hambantota District, Southern Province, Sri LankaThe prominent Malays (මැලේ) most part of the population is to be partly de ...
,
Sri Lanka from
Abu Dhabi, UAE.
Fleet
![Hungary Air Cargo, HA-LHU, Airbus A330-243F](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/16/Hungary_Air_Cargo%2C_HA-LHU%2C_Airbus_A330-243F.jpg)
, the Wizz Air Group fleet consisted of the following aircraft:
[Airbus Orders and Deliveries (XLS), monthly updated, accessed via ]
Environmental protection
In November 2019, Wizz Air dismissed concerns about its part in environmental damage raised by the "
flight shame" movement, basing its response on the airline's per-passenger emission level. The company said it would reduce per capita emissions by an additional 30 percent by 2030. Wizz Air also condemned inefficient airlines such as
Lufthansa that offered business class and used outdated technologies, which according to Wizz Air cause far more environmental damage.
As part of Wizz Air's fuel-saving strategy, all phases of take-off and landing are continuously monitored for maximum environmental optimization, which has a significant impact on further continuous reductions in CO
2 emissions.
In May 2022, they announced that they are aiming to switch from
fossil fuels to
hydrogen
Hydrogen is the chemical element with the symbol H and atomic number 1. Hydrogen is the lightest element. At standard conditions hydrogen is a gas of diatomic molecules having the formula . It is colorless, odorless, tasteless, non-toxic ...
propulsion within 10-15 years as part of a pilot project with Airbus. The need for this ongoing transition has been explained not only by direct environmental and technological considerations, but also by business reasons, saying that over time both passengers and investors will increasingly expect airlines to operate in a more environmentally friendly way.
In November 2022, Wizz Air signed an agreement with the
Austrian
Austrian may refer to:
* Austrians, someone from Austria or of Austrian descent
** Someone who is considered an Austrian citizen, see Austrian nationality law
* Austrian German dialect
* Something associated with the country Austria, for example: ...
energy company
OMV
OMV (formerly abbreviation for Österreichische Mineralölverwaltung Aktiengesellschaft ('' en, Austrian Mineral Oil Administration Stock Company'')) is an Austrian multinational integrated oil, gas and petrochemical company which is headquart ...
to purchase nearly 185,000 tonnes of
sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) from 2023 to 2030.SAF, produced from sustainable feedstocks such as
edible oil
Cooking oil is plant, animal, or synthetic liquid fat used in frying, baking, and other types of cooking. It is also used in food preparation and flavoring not involving heat, such as salad dressings and bread dips, and may be called edible oil ...
and
green hydrogen
Green hydrogen (GH2 or GH2) is hydrogen generated by renewable energy or from low-carbon power.
Green hydrogen has significantly lower carbon emissions than grey hydrogen, which is produced by steam reforming of natural gas, which makes up the b ...
, could be a key element in the
aviation industry's goal of
zero carbon emissions by 2050. The
International Air Transport Association (IATA) estimates that SAF could contribute around 65 percent to the aviation sector's net zero emissions reduction target by 2050.
The cooperation with OMV under the ''SAF contract'' provides Wizz Air with the opportunity to move forward with its strategy to continuously reduce its carbon intensity per passenger-kilometre and reduce its carbon intensity by a further 25 percent by 2030 and to eliminate its carbon emissions completely by 2050. The Wizz Air-OMV agreement demonstrates the airline's commitment to ensuring that its passengers choose the most
environmentally responsible
Ecosophy or ecophilosophy (a portmanteau of ecological philosophy) is a philosophy of ecological harmony or equilibrium. The term was coined by the French post-structuralist philosopher and psychoanalyst Félix Guattari and the Norwegian father ...
way of flying by choosing to fly with Wizz Air.
A few days before the ''SAF contract'' was signed, Wizz Air won the Global Environmental Sustainability Airline Group of the Year. The award was presented for the first time by CAPA (Centre for Aviation) at the Asia Aviation Summit and Sustainability Expo 2022 in
Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, bor ...
. CAPA, a member of the
Aviation Week Network, is one of the world's most trusted sources of
market information for the
aviation
Aviation includes the activities surrounding mechanical flight and the aircraft industry. ''Aircraft'' includes fixed-wing and rotary-wing types, morphable wings, wing-less lifting bodies, as well as lighter-than-air craft such as hot a ...
and
tourism
Tourism is travel for pleasure or business; also the theory and practice of touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tours. The World Tourism Organization defines tourism mor ...
industries. In addition to global recognition, Wizz Air also won the Sustainable Airline of the Year Award in the
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...
,
Middle East
The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabian Peninsula, Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Anatolia, Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Pro ...
and
Africa
Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...
(
EMEA
EMEA is a shorthand designation meaning Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The acronym is used by institutions and governments, as well as in marketing and business when referring to this region: it is a shorthand way of referencing the two ...
) region. The citation stated that Wizz Air was among the top performing airlines in most categories, according to CAPA's Environmental Sustainability Airline Performance Assessment Report 2021 and 2022.
Incidents
On 8 June 2013, Wizz Air Flight 3141, an
Airbus A320-232 (registration HA-LWM) from
Bucharest Henri Coandă Airport, Romania to
Rome-Ciampino, Italy, made an emergency landing at
Leonardo da Vinci–Fiumicino Airport
Rome–Fiumicino International Airport "Leonardo da Vinci" ( it, Aeroporto Internazionale di Roma–Fiumicino "Leonardo da Vinci"; ) is an international airport in Fiumicino, Italy, serving Rome. It is the List of the busiest airports in Italy, ...
when the crew encountered problems lowering one of the main
undercarriages and locking it into position. The aircraft diverted to Fiumicino because of the longer runway, and firefighters applied foam after landing as a precautionary measure. The aircraft was evacuated using slides. Initial reports of injured passengers were denied by both Wizz Air and Rome Fiumicino Airport, who said some passengers requested medical checkups but reported no injuries.
Criticism
Wizz Air is well known for a strong opposition to any activities of its employees in trade unions. Because of that approach to its employees the company is facing many accusations. One of the first cases was already closed by the Romanian supreme court in 2019 with a verdict that Wizz Air discriminated against its workers. Other cases blaming Wizz Air for a similar attitude against its employees are still open in Ukraine and other countries. In October 2020, the
Prime Minister of Norway
The prime minister of Norway ( no, statsminister, which directly translates to "minister of state") is the head of government and chief executive of Norway. The prime minister and Cabinet (consisting of all the most senior government department ...
stated she would not fly with Wizz Air after the company resumed its flights in the country. Wizz Air claimed to allow its employees to be organized in assemblies.
See also
*
EasyJet
EasyJet plc (styled as easyJet) is a British multinational low-cost airline group headquartered at London Luton Airport. It operates domestic and international scheduled services on 927 routes in more than 34 countries via its affiliate airli ...
*
Ryanair
References
External links
*
{{Authority control
Airlines of Hungary
Hungarian brands
Low-cost carriers
Airlines established in 2003
European Low Fares Airline Association
2015 initial public offerings
Companies based in Budapest
Companies listed on the London Stock Exchange
Hungarian companies established in 2003