Turmoil: 240 Wizz Air passengers left stranded in Italy
Recently, flight delays have surged dramatically at both domestic and international airports. Among low-cost airlines, Wizz Air frequently faces criticism, with weekly reports of passengers stranded at airports. Significant disruptions have recently affected flights from Italy to Budapest.
240 passengers stranded in Italy
An Index reader reported that on 27 June, Wizz Air’s flight from Bari to Budapest’s Liszt Ferenc International Airport was initially delayed by three hours. Eventually, the 240 passengers, including Hungarians, Italians, and Americans, were informed that the flight would depart the next evening, on June 28. Though the airline promised accommodations, passengers never received them.
Passengers were later told the flight would proceed, and they were transported to the plane on crowded buses. However, the boarding never happened, and they were returned to the terminal. Following the final cancellation around 2 AM, passengers were left to wait in the terminal without accommodation or proper information. They were not informed about the reason for the cancellation or the next departure time, nor did they receive their luggage. With no flights to Budapest available until Sunday evening, passengers had to arrange their own way home.
One reader recounted taking a taxi to a Flixbus bound for Naples, then flying to Vienna, and finally travelling to Budapest by train or bus, all at their own expense.
A similar issue occurred with another flight from Italy: the 26 June flight from Milan to Budapest, scheduled for 9:30 PM, was delayed by over 24 hours, finally departing on the morning of 28 June, a reader of Utazómajom wrote. Initially, the departure time changed from 5:14 PM to midnight, then to 8:13 AM the next day. Passengers were accommodated at a hotel 25 kilometres from the airport, with promised transfers that never arrived. As a result, 30 passengers missed the flight the next morning and had to seek help from the consulate to reach the airport by taxi. The airline eventually rebooked them on a 9:50 PM flight, which again was delayed, finally departing Milan at 3:20 AM.
Wizz Air’s response
Responding to questions from Economx about the reasons for the Bari flight delay, the lack of accommodations, and any compensation for the passengers, Wizz Air explained that the rescheduling was due to stormy weather. They were unable to book accommodations because all hotels were fully booked. However, Wizz Air assured that they would reimburse all incurred expenses if passengers submit receipts to the airline.
In a statement issued on 28 June, Wizz Air detailed the reasons behind the problem. According to the statement, the weather has made it difficult for air traffic control authorities and Eurocontrol to manage air traffic across the industry, leading to significant delays and flight cancellations across Europe.
Read also: