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Founded | September 2003 | ||||||
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Commenced operations | 19 May 2004 | ||||||
AOC # | EASA.AOC.001 | ||||||
Parent company | Wizz Air Holdings plc | ||||||
Headquarters | Budapest, Hungary |
Operating bases | |
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Frequent-flyer program |
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Subsidiaries |
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Fleet size | 215 (August 2024) |
Destinations | 200 (August 2024) [2] |
Traded as | |
Key people | William A. Franke (Chairman) József Váradi (CEO) [3] |
Revenue | €5,073.1 million (2024) [4] |
Operating income | €437.9 million (2024) [4] |
Net income | €365.9 million (2023) [4] |
Employees | c. 8,000 (2024) [5] |
Website | www |
Wizz Air, stylized as W!ZZ, is a Hungarian ultra low-cost carrier group headquartered in Budapest. The company includes the subsidiaries Wizz Air Hungary, Wizz Air Malta, Wizz Air Abu Dhabi and Wizz Air UK. The airlines serve numerous cities across Europe, as well as some destinations in North Africa, the Middle East, South, and Central Asia. As of 2023, the airline group has its largest bases at Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport, Bucharest Henri Coandă International Airport and London Luton Airport and flies to 194 airports. [5] Its parent company, Wizz Air Holdings plc, is registered in Jersey and is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index. [6]
The oldest airline of the group is Wizz Air Hungary Ltd. (Hungarian : Wizz Air Hungary Légiközlekedési Zrt. ) and has its head office in Budapest. Wizz Air Hungary has the largest fleet of any Hungarian airline.
Wizz Air Hungary was established in September 2003. The founder, József Váradi, was previously CEO of struggling Hungarian state-owned airline Malév Hungarian Airlines, [7] [8] until he was removed from office by the Medgyessy government in 2003. [9] The lead investor is Indigo Partners, an American private equity firm [10] specialising in transportation investments. The first flight was made from Katowice International Airport on 19 May 2004. [11]
On 25 February 2015, Wizz Air shares began trading on the London Stock Exchange. [12]
In November 2017, Wizz Air announced its planned launch of a British division called Wizz Air UK, based at London Luton mainly to take advantage of landing slots acquired when Monarch Airlines entered administration that year. The airline applied successfully to the CAA for an AOC 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. [13]
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. [14] [15]
By early 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic forced Wizz Air to ground its fleet. [16] One-fifth of the staff were dismissed when it became clear that air travel across the continent was shutting down. [17]
In April 2020, Wizz Air became Europe's largest low-cost airline with 78,000 passengers. [18] 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. [19]
In July 2020, the airline announced that it would form a joint venture with the Abu Dhabi Developmental Holding Company. [20]
In October 2020, Wizz took delivery of an A330-200F cargo aircraft (HA-LHU, formerly Qatar Cargo), operating it on behalf of the Hungarian Government as 'Hungary Air Cargo'. [21]
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. [22]
In September 2021, rival low-cost carrier EasyJet claimed it had rejected a takeover offer from Wizz Air. [23]
On 14 November 2021, on the first day of the Dubai Airshow, 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. [24]
In May 2022, Wizz Air said it had signed a memorandum of understanding with Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Investment to collaborate on potential investment and operating models to boost the country's tourism industry and increase its connectivity. [25] [26]
On 8 June 2022, the company signed a memorandum of understanding with European aircraft manufacturer Airbus to work on the development of hydrogen-powered aircraft. [27]
In 2024 the company was named as the worst for flight delays in the United Kingdom for the third year in succession. On average flights departed over half an hour late. [28]
In 2024, Wizz Air had to ground hundred of planes after reported faults with Pratt & Whitney's geared turbofan engines. The CEO said he expected the issue to affect the fleet for two years while the aircraft are inspected. [29]
In September 2024, Wizz Air reported progress on the aircraft engine problems. The budget carrier had 41 aircraft grounded as of Sept. 30, six months earlier than it originally forecast. [30] The company now expects to have 40-45 planes idled at a time over the next 18 months, down from the previous expectation of 50. [31]
In August 2024 the company announced an "all you can fly" subscription, costing €499 per year. [28] The annual subscription sold out within 24 hours. [32] Subscribers are charged an additional £8.90 per flight and have to pay extra for carry-on or checked luggage — only a small personal item is free. [33]
Following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, four Wizz Air aircraft were stranded in Ukraine, three in Kyiv, and one in Lviv (the latter eventually being recovered and returned to service). [34] [35]
In March 2022, amid the invasion, Wizz Air provided 100,000 free airline tickets to refugees for short-distance flights from Poland, Slovakia, Hungary and Romania. [36] [37]
The key trends for the Wizz Air Group are (as at 31 March each year): [38] [39]
FY | Revenue (€m) | Net profit (€m) | Number of employees | Number of passengers (m) | Passenger load factor (%) | Number of served airports | Number of served countries | Fleet size | CO2/RPK [b] (g) | References |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2014 | 1,011 | 87.7 | 1,650 | 13.9 | 85.7 | 96 | 35 | 46 | [40] [41] | |
2015 | 1,227 | 183 | 2,040 | 16.5 | 86.7 | 110 | 38 | 55 | [40] | |
2016 | 1,429 | 192 | 2,396 | 20.0 | 88.2 | 124 | 39 | 67 | [42] | |
2017 | 1,571 | 225 | 3,033 | 23.8 | 90.1 | 141 | 42 | 79 | 61.5 | [43] |
2018 | 1,948 | 275 | 3,686 | 29.6 | 91.3 | 135 | 44 | 93 | 59.9 | [44] |
2019 | 2,327 | 123 | 4,261 | 34.6 | 93.6 | 146 | 44 | 112 | 58.5 | [45] |
2020 | 2,761 | 281 | 4,440 | 40.0 | 93.5 | 155 | 45 | 121 | 57.2 | [46] |
2021 | 0,739 | −576 | 3,960 | 10.2 | 64.0 | 167 | 48 | 137 | 77.3 | [47] [48] |
2022 | 1,663 | −642 | 5,772 | 27.1 | 78.1 | 194 | 51 | 153 | 60.7 | [49] [50] |
2023 | 3,896 | −535 | 7,389 | 51.0 | 87.8 | 194 | 54 | 179 | 53.8 | [51] [52] |
2024 | 5,073 | 365 | 8,044 | 62.0 | 90.1 | 193 | 53 | 208 | 52.0 | [53] [54] |
These notable executions occurred regarding destinations:
Year | Destination | Notability | Refs |
---|---|---|---|
2004 | Maiden flight from the first base in Katowice Airport to London Luton Airport | [64] | |
Budapest | Establishment of second base | [64] | |
2008 | Ukraine | Start of domestic operations in a country outside of the European Union | [65] |
2011 | Belgrade | New base outside of the European Union | [66] |
2012 | Kutaisi | Airline's first route to the South Caucasus | [67] |
Skopje | New base outside of the European Union | [68] | |
Tel Aviv | Airline's first route to the Middle East | [69] | |
2013 | Dubai | Airline's first route to the Arabian Peninsula | [70] |
2014 | Hurghada | Airline's first route to North Africa | [71] |
2015 | Tuzla | New base outside of the European Union | [72] |
2016 | Chisinau | New base outside of the European Union | [73] |
Kutaisi | Airline's first base in the South Caucasus | [74] | |
2017 | Astana | Airline's first route to Central Asia | [75] |
London Luton | New base outside of Central and Eastern Europe | [76] | |
2018 | Vienna | New base outside of Central and Eastern Europe | [77] |
2020 | Larnaca | New base outside of Central and Eastern Europe | [78] |
London Gatwick | New base outside of Central and Eastern Europe | [79] | |
Milan Malpensa | New base in a country outside of Central and Eastern Europe | [80] | |
Tirana | New base outside of the European Union | [81] | |
2021 | Abu Dhabi | Airline's first base on the Arabian Peninsula | [82] |
Dortmund | Closure of a base outside of Central and Eastern Europe after having been operated for a year | [83] | |
Norway | Termination of all its domestic routes in a country outside of the European Union, after being operated for less than a year | [84] | |
2022 | Doncaster | Closure of a base outside of Central and Eastern Europe after having been operated for less than two years | [85] |
Malé | Airline's first route to South Asia | [86] | |
Sarajevo | Closure of a base outside of the European Union after having been operated for a year | [87] [88] | |
2023 | Cardiff | Closure of a base outside of Central and Eastern Europe after having been operated for less than a year | [89] |
The longest operated route by linear distance is between Rome Fiumicino and Abu Dhabi at 2,346 nm. [90] [91] The longest bookable route by linear distance is between London-Gatwick and Jeddah, measuring 2,546 nm. [92] [93]
As of April 2024 [update] , Wizz Air and its subsidiaries operate the following aircraft: [95] [96]
Aircraft | In service | Orders | Passengers | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Airbus A320-200 | 40 [95] | — | 180 | To be gradually replaced by Airbus A320neos. |
186 | ||||
Airbus A320neo | 6 [95] | 13 [96] | 186 [97] | All operated by Wizz Air Malta. |
Airbus A321-200 | 41 [95] | — | 230 | |
Airbus A321neo | 118 [95] | 270 [96] | 239 [98] | Largest operator. [96] Deliveries until 2029. [99] |
Airbus A321XLR | — | 47 [98] [100] | 239 [98] | Deliveries from the beginning of 2025 [101] to 2029. [54] |
Wizz Air cargo fleet | ||||
Airbus A330-200F | 1 [95] | — | Cargo | HA-LHU (owned by the Hungarian government) |
Total | 206 | 330 |
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 [102] at Leonardo da Vinci–Fiumicino Airport when the crew encountered problems lowering one of the main undercarriages and locking it into position. The aircraft diverted to Fiumicino for its longer runway, and firefighters applied foam after landing as a precautionary measure. The aircraft was evacuated using slides. [103] 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. [104]
Leonardo da Vinci Rome Fiumicino Airport is an international airport in Fiumicino, Italy, serving Rome. It is the busiest airport in the country, the 9th busiest airport in Europe and the world's 46th-busiest airport with over 40.5 million passengers served in 2023. It covers an area of 16 square kilometres (6.2 sq mi).
Tirana International Airport Nënë Tereza, often referred to as the Rinas International Airport, is one of the two main international airports of the Republic of Albania. It serves the city of Tirana, its metropolitan area, and surrounding region in the county of Tirana. The airport is named in honor of the Albanian Roman Catholic nun and missionary, Mother Teresa (1910–1997). It is located 6 nautical miles northwest of Tirana, in the municipality of Krujë, Durrës County.
Gulf Air is the flag carrier of Bahrain, which was founded in 1950. Headquartered in Muharraq, the airline operates scheduled flights to 61 destinations in 30 countries across Africa, Asia, and Europe. The airline's main hub is at Bahrain International Airport.
Zayed International Airport, also known as Abu Dhabi International Airport, is the primary international airport serving Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). It is the second busiest airport in the UAE after Dubai International Airport, one of the busiest airports in the Middle East and is the hub for Etihad Airways as well as an operating base for Wizz Air Abu Dhabi and Air Arabia Abu Dhabi.
Etihad Airways is the national airline of the United Arab Emirates. Its head office is in Khalifa City, Abu Dhabi, near Zayed International Airport. The airline commenced operations in November 2003, and is the second-largest airline in the UAE after Emirates.
Zvartnots International Airport is located near Zvartnots, 15 km (9.3 mi) west of Yerevan, the capital city of Armenia. It acts as the main international airport of Armenia and is Yerevan's main international transport hub. It is the busiest airport in the country.
Sarajevo International Airport is the main international airport in Bosnia and Herzegovina, serving Sarajevo, capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is located 3.3 NM southwest of the Sarajevo railway station and some 6.5 NM west of downtown Sarajevo in the Ilidža municipality, suburb of Butmir. In 2022, 1,377,348 passengers travelled through the airport, compared to 323,499 in 2001.
Air Arabia is an Emirati low-cost airline with its head office in the A1 Building Sharjah Freight Center, Sharjah International Airport, United Arab Emirates (UAE). The airline operates scheduled services to 170 destinations in the Middle East, North Africa, the Indian subcontinent, Central Asia, and Europe to 22 countries from Sharjah, 28 destinations in 9 countries from Casablanca, Fez, Nador, and Tangier, 11 destinations in 8 countries from Ras Al Khaimah, and 6 destinations in 4 countries from Alexandria. Air Arabia's main base is Sharjah International Airport. There are also operating bases in Ras Al Khaimah and Abu Dhabi as well as in Alexandria and Casablanca.
MNG Airlines is a Turkish cargo and passenger charter airline headquartered in Istanbul based at Istanbul 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 in Hungary, after Budapest and ahead of Szeged. DEB is located 5 km (3.1 mi) south southwest of the city center and also easily accessible to adjacent regions of Romania and Ukraine.
Tuzla International Airport ; is an airport located in Živinice near Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Tuzla International Airport is the second largest airport in Bosnia and Herzegovina, after Sarajevo International Airport. The airport is known as a low-cost airline hub of Bosnia and Herzegovina, since it is used by people from Bosnia, the diaspora and travellers from neighbouring countries Croatia and Serbia. The airport is a civilian airport and also was a military airbase.
Wizz Air Bulgaria Airlines EAD was the Bulgarian division of the Hungarian Wizz Air.
Wizz Air Ukraine was the Ukrainian division of the Hungarian Wizz Air based at Kyiv Zhuliany International Airport with additional minor operations out of Lviv Danylo Halytskyi International Airport. It ceased operations by 20 April 2015.
József János Váradi is a Hungarian businessman, who co-founded Wizz Air and has been its chief executive officer (CEO) since 2003.
JetSMART Airlines SpA, stylized as JetSMART, is a South American ultra low-cost carrier created by US investment fund Indigo Partners, which also controls low-cost carriers like US airline Frontier Airlines, Mexico's Volaris and Hungary's Wizz Air. JetSmart's primary base of operations is Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport, servicing Santiago, Chile. It also owns and manages JetSmart Argentina, an Argentine subsidiary with a base at Aeroparque Jorge Newbery in Buenos Aires. The airline commenced scheduled operations on 25 July 2017 with a service from Santiago to Calama. Its CEO and founder is Estuardo Ortiz Porras.
Wizz Air UK Ltd. is a British low-cost airline and subsidiary of Wizz Air Holdings plc, using its corporate identity. Founded to enable Wizz Air to retain full UK market access post-Brexit, it is headquartered at London Luton Airport, and has bases at Luton and London Gatwick Airport. Wizz Air, including its UK subsidiary, operate flights from eight UK airports to almost 90 destinations across Europe and the Middle East.
Wizz Air Abu Dhabi is an Emirati low-cost airline based at Zayed International Airport, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Air Arabia Abu Dhabi is an Emirati low-cost airline. Created in October 2019 by Etihad Airways as a joint venture with Air Arabia to expand into the growing low-cost market, it launched operations in July 2020. The airline is based in Zayed International Airport in Abu Dhabi.
Wizz Air Malta is a Maltese low-cost airline and a subsidiary of the Hungarian ultra low-cost carrier Wizz Air.
Media related to Wizz Air at Wikimedia Commons