Wizz Air leads the industry: the most sustainable airline

Wizz Air, Europe’s fastest growing and most environmentally sustainable airline globally*, reports that its average carbon emissions for 2022 amounted to 55.2 grams per passenger/km, 15.4 percent lower than in 2021. This represents its lowest ever annual carbon intensity result recorded in one calendar year.

Lowest carbon emissions

Wizz Air operates the lowest carbon emissions per passenger/km amongst all competitor airlines and is committed to further reducing its carbon emissions intensity by 25 percent by 2030. An integral element of Wizz Air’s sustainability strategy is the renewal of its fleet. The airline has been continuously adding new Airbus A321neo aircraft to its fleet and replacing older aircraft, with 34 Airbus A321neo added to the fleet in 2022.

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The share of new “neo” technology aircraft within Wizz Air’s fleet is planned to surpass 50 percent by the end of this financial year. Currently, the airline operates a fleet of 177 Airbus aircraft with an average age of 4.6 years, well below the average age of its major competitors, which is around 10 years.

New aircraft

The new Airbus A321neo incorporates the latest technologies in aviation and offers significant environmental benefits, with a nearly 50 percent reduction in noise footprint, a 20 percent reduction in fuel consumption and 50 percent reduction in nitrogen oxide emissions compared to the previous model. Wizz Air is currently the biggest operator of the Airbus A321neo in Europe and has one of the largest standalone order books globally of over 300 aircraft of this type, which will help the airline reach its sustainability targets.

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Sustainable partnerships

In addition to its ambitious fleet renewal programme, Wizz Air is constantly working on fuel efficiency initiatives and improving the related data analytics. The airline has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Airbus to explore the potential for hydrogen-powered aircraft, as well as with OMV to supply sustainable aviation fuel between 2023 and 2030. These partnerships reinforce Wizz Air’s commitment to driving emissions intensity down by the end of the decade.

Johan Eidhagen, Chief People and ESG Officer at Wizz Air, said: “We are proud to offer Wizz Air passengers the most environmentally responsible choice when they choose to fly. We have achieved our industry leading sustainability position by operating the most efficient and modern aircraft and focusing on finding solutions to further reduce our carbon emissions intensity. We are thankful for the hard work from all those within the company who have made it possible to achieve our lowest ever carbon intensity annual result.”

*According to the CAPA – Centre for Aviation Awards for Excellence 2022