Wizz Air closes one base, opens another: Where is the Hungarian airline heading?
Change language:
Summer is the golden season of air travel, and this year’s peak months were stronger than ever for Wizz Air. The Hungary-based airline not only set new passenger records but also announced major strategic changes: it is moving from Vienna to Bratislava, launching new routes, and further expanding its fleet.
Record passenger numbers and improved punctuality
Between May and August, Wizz Air carried 24.5 million passengers, a 10% increase compared with the previous year, Olívia Harangozó, the company’s communications manager, said at a season-ending press conference. During the summer peak, the airline operated more than 120,000 flights, with daily departures reaching 1,000 worldwide from July. In Hungary alone, 2.6 million passengers travelled with Wizz Air, a 13% rise. By the end of the year, the total could reach 8 million.
Punctuality also improved significantly: the proportion of departures within 15 minutes increased by 63%, while flights delayed by more than three hours accounted for just 0.5% of all operations. Only six flights had to be cancelled in Hungary, mainly due to external factors such as protests in France.
Award-winning sustainability and a modern fleet
The airline’s fleet currently consists of 243 Airbus aircraft, with an average age of 4.5 years. Aircraft numbered 244 to 250 are expected soon, further strengthening Wizz Air’s young, fuel-efficient fleet.
Thanks to these efforts, the airline received the “Sustainable Airline of the Year 2025” award, recognising its significant CO₂ reductions, its Net Zero roadmap, and the transparency of its sustainability reporting. Artificial intelligence also plays a role: pilots can use AI-based decision support to optimise fuel consumption during flights.
