Wizz Air UK

Last updated

Wizz Air UK
Wizz Air logo 2015.svg
IATA ICAO Callsign
W9WUKWIZZ GO
Founded26 September 2017;6 years ago (2017-09-26)
Commenced operations3 May 2018;6 years ago (2018-05-03) [1]
AOC # 2449
Operating bases
Frequent-flyer program
  • WIZZ Discount Club
  • WIZZ Privilige Pass
Fleet size18
Destinations57 [2]
Parent company Wizz Air Holdings plc
Headquarters Luton, England, United Kingdom
Key peopleMarion Geoffroy (Managing Director) [3]
Website www.wizzair.com

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, [4] it is headquartered at London Luton Airport, [5] 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. [6]

Contents

Wizz Air UK holds a Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) Type A Operating Licence permitting it to carry passengers, cargo and mail on aircraft with 20 or more seats. [7]

UK launch

In October 2017, Wizz Air announced it had applied for an air operator's certificate (AOC) in the United Kingdom through a new UK-based subsidiary, Wizz Air UK, with plans for the subsidiary to take over a number of Wizz Air's existing routes from its existing Luton Airport base starting in March 2018. [4] The following month, the airline announced an expansion of service at Luton after acquiring departure and landing slots from defunct Monarch Airlines. [8] Wizz Air UK received its AOC in May 2018, two months later than originally planned. [1]

Wizz Air UK opened its second base at Doncaster Sheffield Airport in August 2020, basing only one aircraft there and operating 10 routes. [9] This was increased to 23 routes and another based aircraft in September 2020. [10] However, in June 2022 Wizz Air UK announced its Doncaster Sheffield base would be closing, citing the airport's inability to guarantee the terms of its commercial agreement with Wizz. [11] In October 2022, Wizz Air ceased operating from Doncaster Sheffield and launched seven routes from nearby Leeds Bradford Airport.[ citation needed ]

Wizz opened a base at Gatwick Airport near London in October 2020, with one aircraft flying four new routes. [12]

In December 2020, Wizz Air UK announced it would be opening its fourth UK base at Cardiff Airport, basing one aircraft and opening 9 routes. [13] In January 2023, Wizz Air announced the indefinite closure of its Cardiff base despite operating for less than a year.[ citation needed ] The airline cited economic pressures such as rising fuel prices as the reason for the closure. [14] The last Wizz Air flights from Cardiff were on the 25th January 2023. [14]

Civil Aviation Authority dispute resolution

In December 2022, the UK Civil Aviation Authority announced its findings that Wizz Air ranked as the worst airline for complaints escalated to dispute resolution services in the third quarter, at 811 complaints per million passengers. [15] Wizz Air UK was also the worst performer for flight delays from UK airports in both 2021 and 2022, according to studies of Civil Aviation Authority data by PA Media released in August 2022 and April 2023. [16] [17]

Destinations

Wizz Air UK operates in conjunction with parent company Wizz Air. Together, they operate to almost 90 destinations from the UK. [6]

As of November 2023, the airline group uses the UK AOC on flights connecting the UK with the European Union, Europe, Morocco and the North Western part of the Middle East. [18]

Fleet

Wizz Air UK Airbus A320-200 Wizz Air UK, G-WUKD, Airbus A320-232 (31399906698).jpg
Wizz Air UK Airbus A320-200
Wizz Air UK Airbus A321neo Wizz Air UK, G-WUKN, Airbus A321-271NX.jpg
Wizz Air UK Airbus A321neo

Current fleet

As of September 2024, Wizz Air UK operates the following aircraft: [19]

Wizz Air UK Fleet
AircraftIn serviceOrdersPassengersNotes
Airbus A321neo 180239
Airbus

A321XLR

02239Wizz air UK will take delivery of the 1st and 3rd XLR the Wizz air group receives. [20]
Total182

Related Research Articles

Virgin Atlantic, a trading name of Virgin Atlantic Airways Limited and Virgin Atlantic International Limited, is a British airline with its head office in Crawley, West Sussex, England. The airline was established in 1984 as British Atlantic Airways, and was originally planned by its co-founders Randolph Fields and Alan Hellary to fly between London and the Falkland Islands. Soon after changing the name to Virgin Atlantic Airways, Fields sold his shares in the company to Richard Branson in return for unlimited free travel. The maiden flight from London–Gatwick to Newark took place on 22 June 1984.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gatwick Airport</span> Secondary international airport serving London, England, United Kingdom

London Gatwick, also known as Gatwick Airport, is the secondary international airport serving London, the capital of England and the United Kingdom. It is located near Crawley, West Sussex, England 29.5 miles (47.5 km) south of Central London. In 2022, Gatwick was the second-busiest airport by total passenger traffic in the UK, after Heathrow Airport, and was the 8th-busiest in Europe by total passenger traffic. It covers a total area of 674 hectares.

First Choice Airways Limited was a British charter airline of European tour operator TUI Travel plc, based in Crawley, England until its merger with Thomsonfly to form Thomson Airways in 2008. It flew to more than 60 destinations worldwide from 14 UK and Irish airports. 70% of the airline's services were operated for its parent company, rising to 85% in the summer season, with the remainder on behalf of some 120 other tour operators. It also operated scheduled year-round leisure routes to Cyprus and the resorts of Spain and Portugal.

EasyJet plc 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 airlines EasyJet UK, EasyJet Switzerland, and EasyJet Europe. EasyJet plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Luton Airport</span> Airport serving London, England

London Luton Airport is an international airport located in Luton, Bedfordshire, England, situated 1.7 miles (2.7 km) east of the town centre, and 29 miles (47 km) north of Central London. The airport is owned by London Luton Airport Ltd (LLAL), a company wholly owned by Luton Borough Council, and operated by London Luton Airport Operations Ltd (LLAOL).

Monarch Airlines, simply known as Monarch, was a British charter and scheduled airline founded by Bill Hodgson and Don Peacock and financed by the Swiss Sergio Mantegazza family. The company later became a low-cost airline in 2004 before abandoning charter flying completely. The airline's headquarters were based at London–Luton, and it had operating bases at Birmingham, Leeds/Bradford, London–Gatwick and Manchester.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wizz Air</span> Low-cost airline of Hungary

Wizz Air Holdings plc is a Hungarian ultra low-cost carrier group registered in Jersey. 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. The holding company is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Doncaster Sheffield Airport</span> Airport in South Yorkshire, England

Doncaster Sheffield Airport, formerly named and commonly referred to as Robin Hood Airport, was an international airport in Finningley near Doncaster in South Yorkshire, England, in operation between 2005 and 2022. The site lies 6 mi (10 km) south-east of the centre of Doncaster and 19 mi (31 km) east of Sheffield.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cardiff Airport</span> Airport in Wales

Cardiff Airport is an airport in Rhoose, Wales. It is the only airport offering commercial passenger services in Wales. The airport is owned by the Welsh Government, operating it at arm's length as a commercial business.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tuzla International Airport</span> Airport in Dubrave Gornje, Bosnia and Herzegovina

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">TUI Airways</span> Charter airline of the United Kingdom

TUI Airways Limited is the British arm of the TUI Airline group, which is owned and operated by the TUI Group. They offer scheduled and charter flights from the United Kingdom and Ireland to destinations in Europe, Africa, Asia and North America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Links Air</span> Former British airline

Links Air was a British airline selling and operating scheduled regional flights as well as charter services. It formerly operated scheduled flights out of Doncaster Sheffield Airport and public service obligation flights in Wales from Cardiff to Anglesey on behalf of the Welsh Government.

CargoLogicAir, Ltd. (CLA) was a British cargo airline with its headquarters at London Heathrow Airport. The airline's fleet of Boeing 747 freight aircraft operated scheduled and chartered freight services on routes between the UK, Asia, Africa and the Americas. CargoLogicAir ceased operations in November 2022 and went into administration after suspending operations intermittently since 2020.

Norwegian Air UK Ltd was a British airline and a fully integrated subsidiary of low-cost airline Norwegian Air Shuttle, using its corporate identity. The airline operated Boeing 787-9 aircraft on scheduled services between Europe, Asia, and the Americas from its base at Gatwick Airport, south of London. In January 2021, Norwegian Air Shuttle announced it would cease all long-haul operations, which included those of Norwegian Air UK.

Ryanair UK is a British low-cost airline. The airline is the UK subsidiary of the low-cost Irish airline group Ryanair Holdings and a sister airline to Ryanair, Buzz, and Malta Air. It commenced operations in March 2019. It operates only Boeing 737-800 aircraft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wizz Air Abu Dhabi</span> Low-cost airline of the United Arab Emirates

Wizz Air Abu Dhabi is an Emirati low-cost airline based at Zayed International Airport, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

Emerald Airlines is an Irish regional airline headquartered in Dublin, on the grounds of Dublin Airport. In August 2021, the airline became the operator of the Aer Lingus Regional franchise, before operations launched on 26 February 2022.

Norse Atlantic Airways AS is a Norwegian low-cost, long-haul airline headquartered in Arendal, Norway. Founded in February 2021, the airline operates a fleet of Boeing 787 aircraft between Europe, North America, Africa and Asia. Its inaugural flight took place on 14 June 2022 from Oslo Gardermoen Airport to New York City's John F. Kennedy International Airport.

Norse Atlantic UK Ltd is a British airline that is a fully integrated subsidiary of the Norwegian low-cost airline Norse Atlantic Airways. The airline operates a fleet of Boeing 787 aircraft based at London's Gatwick Airport, and operations launched on 26 March 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wizz Air Malta</span> Low-cost airline of Malta

Wizz Air Malta is a Maltese low-cost airline and a subsidiary of the Hungarian ultra low-cost carrier Wizz Air.

References

  1. 1 2 "Wizz Air UK receives air operator's certificate and operating license - First flight on 03 May 2018" (Press release). Wizz Air Hungary Ltd. 3 May 2018. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
  2. ↑ "Wizz Air UK on ch-aviation.com". ch-aviation.com. Retrieved 21 November 2023.
  3. ↑ "Leadership Team". Wizz Air. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
  4. 1 2 "Wizz Air applies for a UK air operator certificate" (Press release). Wizz Air Hungary Ltd. 18 October 2017. Retrieved 7 April 2018.
  5. ↑ Wizz Air. "Company Information". Wizz Air. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
  6. 1 2 Wizz Air. "Timetable" . Retrieved 21 January 2023.
  7. ↑ "Airline licence holders". Civil Aviation Authority (United Kingdom) . Retrieved 9 August 2018.
  8. ↑ "Wizz Air acquires additional slots at London Luton" (Press release). Wizz Air Hungary Ltd. 30 November 2017. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
  9. ↑ "Wizz Air announces new base and major expansion at Doncaster Sheffield Airport" (Press release). Wizzair Hungary Ltd. 13 August 2020.
  10. ↑ "Wizz Air announces second based aircraft and six new routes" (Press release). Doncaster Sheffield Airport. 1 September 2020.
  11. ↑ "Airline announces large number of flight cancellations from Yorkshire airport". ITV News. 3 June 2022. Retrieved 3 June 2022.
  12. ↑ "Wizz Air announces further UK expansion with new Gatwick base" (Press release). Wizz Air Hungary Ltd. 18 August 2020. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
  13. ↑ "Wizz Air announces further uk expansion with new base at Cardiff Airport". cardiff-airport.com. 3 December 2020.
  14. 1 2 Barry, Sion (10 January 2023). "Wizz Air is pulling out of Cardiff Airport". WalesOnline. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
  15. ↑ "Regulator raises concerns with Wizz Air following complaints". Civil Aviation Authority. 16 December 2022. Retrieved 7 May 2023.
  16. ↑ "Wizz Air named worst airline for UK-departing flight delays". The Guardian. 29 August 2022.
  17. ↑ "Wizz Air perform worst for flight delays". BBC News. 9 April 2023.
  18. ↑ "Wizz Air Flights and Destinations - FlightConnections". www.flightconnections.com. 21 November 2023. Retrieved 21 November 2023.
  19. ↑ "G-INFO search | Civil Aviation Authority". siteapps.caa.co.uk. Retrieved 21 July 2022.
  20. ↑ Peters, Luke (10 September 2024). "Wizz Air confirms London to Jeddah as its first A321XLR route from March 2025 – AeroTime" . Retrieved 12 September 2024.

Commons-logo.svg Media related to Wizz Air UK at Wikimedia Commons

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.