Wizz Air sold 3 new planes: Lurking problems or rethinking their strategy?

Wizz Air has embarked on a significant strategic overhaul aimed at reducing business risks and securing long-term, sustainable profitability.

Wizz Air sold 3 brand new aircraft

As part of these efforts, the Budapest-based low-cost carrier has sold three brand-new Airbus A321neo aircraft and scaled back its future fleet expansion plans, according to the company’s latest financial report.

The airline, which closed the April–September peak travel season with strong results, transported 36.5 million passengers in the first half of its financial year—an increase of 9.8 percent compared to the same period last year. Total revenue grew by 9 percent, while operating profit surged by 25.8 percent to EUR 439.2 million.

AIRportál notes that operational reliability also improved notably over the summer. Wizz Air reported fewer disruptions, achieving a completion rate of 99.65 percent, while 61 percent of its flights departed on time in the most recent quarter.

The airline said it managed to significantly reduce the costs associated with aircraft it leases—together with their crews—from other carriers.

• Damaged Wizz Air plane still in Prague since September

Refocusing on Central and Eastern Europe

As part of a targeted strategic shift, Wizz Air has decided to concentrate its resources on the most profitable markets in Central and Eastern Europe. This restructuring included the closure of Wizz Air Abu Dhabi—a joint venture subsidiary—and the shutdown of the airline’s Vienna base in September. Aircraft capacity has since been redeployed to airports such as Bratislava, Chișinău, Podgorica and Tuzla.

The company also announced that it would slow the pace of its capacity expansion. Until the end of the decade, Wizz Air expects annual growth of 10–12 percent, a more modest forecast than previously planned.