Wizz Air swallowed its passengers’ money, even failed to inform them
An administrative error has occurred at Wizz Air, with some customers having 400,000 forints (EUR 1,032) stuck in the airline’s system.
According to reports from Népszava, passengers who encountered issues with Wizz Air in January 2024 are yet to receive any resolution. The Hungarian-based low-cost carrier’s ticketing system has been plagued by glitches, causing it to fail in registering ticket transfers while still deducting the corresponding amounts from customers’ bank accounts. Consequently, passengers find themselves out of pocket without the tickets they paid for, as Wizz Air seems to have pocketed their funds.
Népszava reveals that numerous customers have had over 400,000 forints held within the airline’s system for more than a month, exacerbating the frustration and financial strain they face.
In addition, Wizz Air did not provide any information, so passengers did not know what had happened, for how long and what kind of problem existed. Nor did passengers know whether they would get their money back. After waiting for several days, the stranded passenger finally contacted the airline’s premium rate call centre.
Adding insult to injury, Wizz Air has provided scant information, leaving passengers in the dark regarding the nature and duration of the problem, as well as the likelihood of receiving refunds. After enduring days of uncertainty, stranded passengers resorted to contacting the airline’s premium-rate call centre, where they were belatedly informed of the error and assured of refunds. However, this process was marred by delays and ambiguity, with the possibility of some refunds slipping through the cracks due to complications in bank details reconciliation.
Despite reassurances from Wizz Air, the refund process has been far from expedient. Some passengers, having provided their details and waited patiently, are still left empty-handed weeks later. Even after being informed of potential 30-day processing periods, many passengers remain frustrated when refunds fail to materialise within the stipulated timeframe. Repeated calls to the premium-rate number have yielded little clarity or resolution, leaving passengers increasingly disillusioned with the airline’s handling of the situation.
Népszava’s attempts to seek clarification from Wizz Air have been met with promises of forthcoming information, yet substantive updates have been conspicuously absent for over a week. Questions regarding the root cause of the problem, the extent of affected reservations, and the delay in informing passengers remain unanswered. Furthermore, concerns about the reimbursement of premium-rate call charges have yet to be addressed, leaving passengers feeling further aggrieved by the lack of transparency and accountability from Wizz Air.
Read also:
- Bomb threat on Wizz Air plane, immediate emergency landing
- Skyward expansion: Wizz Air soars with 200 aircraft and beyond
Skyward expansion: Wizz Air soars with 200 aircraft and beyond
Wizz Air already boasts a fleet of 200 aircraft, yet there seems to be no halting the influx of 300 more.
With the introduction of the state-of-the-art A321neo, the Hungarian-based budget airline Wizz Air has now expanded its fleet to 200 aircraft. Presently, the average age of the company’s aircraft stands at a mere 4.2 years, and Wizz Air boasts the largest A321neo order book in Europe. Their ambitious “WIZZ500” initiative aims to secure an additional 300 aircraft by the decade’s end.
In December, 13 aircraft encountered engine troubles, a number that continues to rise. According to airportal.hu, the tally of grounded aircraft could soar to 40 by the close of March. Although the average repair duration for these grounded planes is 300 calendar days, the airline is actively mitigating network disruptions, with no imminent base closures anticipated.
Looking ahead to the upcoming fiscal year, spanning from 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025, Wizz Air is poised to welcome 30 new A321neos into its fleet, alongside extending the leases of 13 existing aircraft.
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Bomb threat on Wizz Air plane, immediate emergency landing
Somebody threatened a Wizz Air flight flying to Barcelona with a bomb.
According to Magyar Nemzet, the plane carried passengers from Kutaisi in Georgia to Barcelona in Spain (Catalonia). It made an emergency landing at the Kutaisi International Airport. The events took place on Wednesday.
The Hungarian budget airline’s call centre received the threatening call, the Hungarian news outlet added.
They asked Wizz Air for more details and received the following answer.
They said the Kutaisi International Airport received the phone call about the bomb threat. Following the protocol, the airline immediately turned the plane and secured all passengers. Afterwards, Georgian authorities began to search the plane thoroughly.
Thankfully, they found nothing endangering the passengers or the plane. The Georgian authorities found the suspect.
Wizz Air highlighted that the safety of their passengers and crew is the most important in such situations.
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Win a trip of a lifetime to a mystery destination with Hungarian Wizz Air!
Wizz Air, Europe’s fastest-growing and most environmentally sustainable airline globally*, is offering Brits the chance to win a trip of a lifetime to a mystery destination as part of its new #LetsGetLostwithWIZZ campaign.
The flight will depart from London Gatwick to the unknown destination on the 7th of March. Those selected can expect a jam-packed four-day itinerary of fun, including cultural, culinary and adventure activities, Wizz Air wrote.
The question of kaftans and swimsuits or snow gear and hiking boots will be answered before departure, with winners only being told what climate to pack for a few days ahead of the trip. No other clues will be revealed until touching down in the unknown location.
For a chance to win a seat on the plane, UK residents can visit the Wizz Air Instagram and follow the prompts on the latest Instagram reel posted at 8 am on 15th February. Entries close on 22nd February 00.01. Those selected will be able to bring a plus one on the trip and winners will be contacted via Instagram.
Wizz Air flies to more than 70 destinations from the UK
From sun to snow and mountains to beaches, Wizz Air flies to more than 70 destinations from the UK. Last year, the most popular destinations for Brits included Morocco, Cyprus, Greece, Turkey and Spain, with many other off-the-beaten-track destinations proving popular with young travellers and families.
UK Wizz Air Managing Director, Marion Geoffroy said: “We love connecting our passengers to new countries, allowing them to meet new people and try new experiences. Going on a flight to an unknown destination is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and we are pleased to be able to offer this to lucky winners here in the UK! Let’s Get Lost is our way of saying ‘thank you’ to our British passengers and we hope to continue serving them as they travel the world and make new memories.”
Wizz Air has completed other Get Lost campaigns from Italy, Abu Dhabi, and Vienna.
Check out the full video of the latest action-packed Let’s Get Lost campaign HERE.
Read also:
Wizz Air closes and suspends flights to popular holiday destinations
The Hungarian budget airline, Wizz Air, modified its summer timetable considerably last week cancelling or suspending several flights to Mediterranean tourist destinations. This week, they announced new cancellations and suspensions concerning their Egypt, Saudi-Arabia, and Türkiye routes.
According to okosutas.hu, Wizz Air not only reduces flight frequency to some Mediterranean destinations, but it also cancels and suspends popular routes. We wrote about the previously announced modifications in THIS article.
However, it seems additional routes will be suspended.
No flights to Antalya, Sharm El Sheikh, and Dammam, Saudi Arabia
Wizz Air had high hopes concerning their Saudi-Arabia flights. However, they decided to close their Dammam flight. The last plane departed from Budapest on 19 January, but they allowed passengers to book tickets even for April. Now, they removed those flights from the timetable, so okosutas.hu believes Wizz Air ceased to carry passengers on that route.
Tickets were not expensive to Dammam, you could regularly book flights for only EUR 10. That is cheap concerning the ticket price increases passengers experienced in the sector. We wrote about that trend HERE.
However, the visa to Saudi Arabia is quite expensive, so that might be an obstacle in making Dammam a popular holiday destination even though the weather is always hot and the city is on the seashore.
Wizz Air decided to suspend its flight to Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt for the summer. Hurghada remains in the Hungarian low-cost airline’s timetable. You cannot book a ticket to the Sinai Peninsula tourist paradise between mid-June and the end of September. Afterwards, the route will return.
Another modification from Wizz Air is that they will not fly to Antalya from Debrecen. Instead, they opened a new route to Istanbul from the Eastern Hungarian city. We wrote about that in THIS article. At the time, nobody knew about the closed Antalya route because Wizz Air did not communicate it.
Another new flight to Corfu
Meanwhile, another flight has been announced from the Pécs-Pogány airport. The rural international airport convinced the Maltese Universal Air carrier to launch flights from Malta to Munich via Pécs. The first planes will depart on 26 March. According to turizmus.com, Universal Air announced another flight from the Southern Hungarian city to Corfu, Greece. The first passengers will depart from the Pécs-Pogány airport on 15 May. The planes will commute on Wednesdays. They will take off in Corfu at 11.40 AM and arrive in Pécs at 1.40 PM. The return flight will take off at 7.40 PM and land at 9.30 PM.
Read also:
- Wizz Air suspends 21 flights in this European country – Read more HERE
- Impressive success: Emirates flights to display film of Hungarian filmmaker – Details in THIS article
Featured image: Sharm El Sheikh
Wizz Air launches new flights to this European metropolis
The Hungarian low-cost airline announced this week that they would suspend 21 flights in Romania because of the Pratt & Whitney engine problems. However, it seems they have enough capacity to launch a new flight to a European metropolis.
We wrote HERE that the Hungarian low-cost airline suspended 21 of their Romanian flights due to the engine problems of their planes. They require maintenance which will last 300 days on average, but the airline does not plan to close any bases due to the inconvenience. The decision comes after Wizz Air wanted to chastise the Romanian flag carrier, Tarom, because of its state bailout during the pandemic.
The Hungarian budget airline claimed the money the Romanian government gave to Tarom was prohibited state support because Wizz Air would have been able to serve Romanian demand. Of course, they did not know about the problems with the Pratt & Whitney engines when they filed that complaint during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, we can say that the decision of the Romanian government was beneficial for the Romanian passengers.
The new flight to take off on 14 April
Despite a quarter of their fleet remaining on the ground, Wizz Air decided to open a new route connecting Istanbul with Debrecen. According to AIRportal.hu, the first flight will take off on 14 April from Debrecen’s international airport.
Based on the company’s announcement, the planes will commute on Wednesdays and Sundays between the two cities in the afternoon hours. The route will be operating until the end of summer.
Wizz Air submitted their bid to operate a flight to connect the Eastern Hungarian city and Türkiye’s most populous settlement in September 2023.
Read also:
- Wizz Air rewrote summer timetable: European Riviera flights called off, modified – Read more HERE
- Official: This European city is now the largest base of Wizz Air – Details in THIS article
Below is a promo video of Istanbul:
Wizz Air suspends 21 flights in this European country
The Hungarian low-cost carrier, Wizz Air, has made the decision to suspend 21 flights in Romania temporarily. This move follows issues with the Pratt & Whitney engines.
Reported by airportal.hu, the Hungarian budget airline is temporarily halting 21 of its Romanian flights over the next few months due to the mandatory inspection of the Pratt & Whitney engines.
This decision affects six airports: Bucharest, Kolozsvár (Cluj Napoca), Temesvár (Timișoara), Marosvásárhely (Târgu Mureș), Craiova and Iași.
Some flights will be suspended from the end of March through April, with several summer flights also impacted.
Wizz Air held the top spot among airlines in Romania last year, where it operates six bases, commanding a market share of 57%.
As of the end of December, 13 planes were grounded due to issues with Pratt & Whitney engines, resulting in penalties for Wizz Air. By 24 January, this number had risen to 33, with projections indicating 40 planes out of service by the end of March.
Previously, the company had estimated 45 planes would be affected by the end of March, equating to a quarter of their fleet. The average repair time for the planes is 300 days; however, the airline has no plans to close any bases.
In the upcoming business year, Wizz Air expects to welcome 30 new A321neo planes and extend leases on 13 aircraft. Additionally, three dry-lease planes will join Wizz Air’s fleet.
Read also:
Official: This European city is now the largest base of Wizz Air
Romania is also ahead of Hungary in the air, with Bucharest replacing Budapest as Wizz Air’s largest base last year.
Bucharest is Wizz Air’s largest base in 2023
Bucharest replaced Budapest as Hungarian low-cost airline Wizz Air’s largest base last year, Ziarul Financiar reports. According to the Hungarian News Agency (MTI), Wizz Air’s Bucharest base has 17 aircraft, with an average of 2,400 flights a month to and from Bucharest. Meanwhile, in the case of Budapest, that number is around 2,000.
Two more aircraft will be added to the Bucharest base in the near future. “This investment will bring the total number of planes at the Bucharest base to 19, employing 800 people. This is the largest base for Wizz Air, which will strengthen its leading position in Romania with a market share of 57%,” the airline said.
Read also:
- Wizz Air to have its largest base in this Eastern European city
- Hungarian authority probes Wizz Air for concealing information from passengers
Six Wizz bases in Romania
Wizz Air operates six bases in Romania: in addition to Bucharest, in Cluj-Napoca (Kolozsvár), Sibiu (Nagyszeben), Timișoara (Temesvár), Iași (Jászvásár) and Craiova. From these airports, they operate more than 170 flights, both domestic and international. International flights fly to 24 destinations. Last year, nearly 13 million people flew on Romanian Wizz Air flights, compared to only 8.5 million a year earlier.
Competition Authority to probe Wizz Air
On a less positive note, the Hungarian Competition Authority (GVH) has opened proceedings against the airline over suspicions that important information may have been withheld from passengers. The agency has noticed that between December 2022 and May 2023, returning passengers with a return ticket were not able to complete the free online check-in on their mobile phones due to the specificities of the website’s mobile view.
As a result, affected passengers had to pay a EUR 40 airport check-in fee. Wizz Air responded in a statement, saying that they had already solved the technical problem, which they had also notified to the GVH.
Wizz flights to resume
March 2024 will see two Wizz Air flights resume. On 1 March, the first flight to Tel Aviv after months will take off. On 31 March, the first flight to Chișinău after a year will take off. The latter route was launched back in March 2022, but was suspended on 14 March 2023 due to the uncertain security situation caused by the Russian-Ukrainian war.
Wizz Air rewrote summer timetable: European riviera flights called off, modified
A Hungarian media outlet wrote that the Hungarian budget airline, Wizz Air, rewrote its summer timetable, so multiple flights will not operate or their frequencies change. The company will inform its passengers about the changes in the next few days.
According to okosutas.hu, such decisions are not unique to the Hungarian low-cost airline. Wizz Air rewrote its January-March timetable last December, causing inconvenience for many of its passengers. That is because they introduced night or early morning flights in several directions. We wrote about that decision in THIS article in detail.
Now, they did the same concerning the first part of their summer timetable. That means even though passengers bought their ticket in advance for a e.g. June flight, it might happen the plane will not depart at 8 AM but at 8 PM. That may cause headaches for some.
Okotustas’s (‘Smart Passenger’ in English) advice is not to book a non-refundable accommodation on popular Wizz directions since timetable modifications frequently happen on those.
Read also:
- Hungarian authority probes Wizz Air for concealing information from passengers – Read more HERE
- Wizz Air to offer 70 destinations from Hungary this summer
Cyprus, Türkiye, and Bulgaria were affected among others
The Hungarian news outlet mentioned some of the most outstanding modifications. In the original timetable, Cyprus was present with daily flights. However, Wizz cuts that back to three flights per week from end-March.
Meanwhile, Wizz will fly to Basel (Switzerland) more frequently: there will be flights twice a day on some days. However, on Monday, two flights will depart after one another, which Okosutas regards as strange.
The budget airline will not fly to Antalya or Burgas in the pre-season. That means you will only be able to travel there from mid-June despite the company selling tickets for the last few months on them.
Of course, ticket prices will be refunded, or the tickets can be rebooked. However, the latter works for only one month in advance concerning the Bulgarian and the Turkish seashore. Therefore, March travellers will not be able to rebook their flight since in April or in May, no Wizz-flights will commute there. The system does not allow the modification to Istanbul.
All in all, provided you have a Wizz ticket between March and June, you should check out your email address in the following days.
Wizz Air launches extra flight to this German city
Because of the high demand, the Hungarian budget airline, Wizz Air, has decided to launch an extra flight to Cologne, Germany.
According to AIRportal.hu, the extra flight will take off on 15 June to the German city where the Hungarian football team will play their first group match with Switzerland in Group A. As a result, Hungarian fans may travel to the German city with two direct flights from Budapest that day.
Wizz Air added they would launch flights to the Hungarian national team’s 15 and 19 June matches from the Budapest Airport and the Debrecen International Airport.
Furthermore, football fans may travel to the European Championships with direct flights from Alania, Austria, the United Kingdom, Italy, Romania, and Serbia.
Read also:
- Hungarian authority probes Wizz Air for concealing information from passengers
- Hungarian beauty says her daughter’s father is Brazilian football star Neymar – PHOTOS and more in THIS article
The ticket price for the direct Cologne flight from Budapest is a bit high concerning the budget airline’s average. You have to pay HUF 59,990 (EUR 156).
The outbound plane will leave Budapest at 6.25 in the morning. Meanwhile, the return flight is expected to arrive at 9.05 in the evening.
Hungarian authority probes Wizz Air for concealing information from passengers
Wizz Air Hungary might find itself in a challenging situation, as the Hungarian Competition Authority has initiated proceedings against the corporation, according to the Hungarian News Agency (MTI). The reason behind the proceedings is that the airline is suspected of concealing crucial information regarding its free online check-in services, potentially causing avoidable costs for passengers.
The accusation is based on information discovered by the office of the Hungarian Competition Authority. Wizz Air Hungary Plc. is accused of concealing important information on its website between December 2022 and May 2023. Specifically, passengers with return tickets were unable to check in online for free from their mobile phone browsers due to the specificities of the website’s mobile view. The consumers affected by this later had to pay an airport check-in fee of around EUR 40.
A clear warning
In October 2022, the Hungarian Competition Authority had already announced that, in justified cases, it would be examining the enforcement of fair competition rules within the framework of competition supervision procedures in the market after conducting a sweep analysis of the flight companies available in Hungary. The goal of the analysis was to examine whether the airlines employ so-called dark patterns in their ticket sales and advertising practices on their websites and popular ticket-price comparison pages.
Read also:
- Strikes may annul several Budapest flights this week – Read more HERE
- Airbnb prices began to decrease in Budapest – Read more HERE
Other troubles
Wizz Air not only has to face the consequences of their actions if the authorities find them guily of hiding imformation, but the company also closed their previous quarter with a loss of EUR 180 million, despite the increase in their passenger numbers, according to AIRportal.hu. Wizz Air carried a record of 15.1 million passengers between October and December in 2023, an increase of almost 22% compared to the 12.4 million in the same period a year prior.
At the end of December, 13 aircraft had been grounded due to issues with Pratt & Whitney engines, for which the company received a penalty from the manufacturer. There are different reasons why the company may find itself in a troublesome situation regarding its finances. The conflict in the Middle East, along with a decrease in revenue per passenger-kilometre (8%), ticket revenue (6,1%) and revenue from additional services (10%), has impacted the company. The operating result showed a loss of EUR 180 million, which analsyts expected to be significantly lower. However, the EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortisation) level was a positive at EUR 18.7 million.
Coming horizons
In the next financial year, Wizz Air’s fleet will be bolstered by 30 new A321neo aircraft, and the leases for 13 existing aircraft have been extended. Additionally, three more dry-lease aircraft will be added and there are plans to increase the utilisation of the operational fleet and the number of daily flights. These measures are expected to contribute to resolving Wizz Air’s financial problems.
In relation to the proceedings, the initiation of competition proceedings does not automatically imply that the undertaking has committed the infringement. The purpose of the procedure is to clarify the facts and verify the alleged infringement. The assigned time for the procedure is three months, with the potential for two extensions, each lasting a maximum of two months if deemed justified.
Wizz Air’s reaction
The official reaction from Wizz Air which was issued later on Wednesday stated that they had already “resolved” the issue long ago and would provide every necessary information to the Hungarian Competition Authority. The airline emphasized : “Wizz Air does everyhing possible in t he interest of keeping its passengers informed in a transparent manned and continuously upgrading its services.”
UPDATE: Direct flights between Budapest and this Eastern European country to resume
Find the update of Wizz Air below.
Hungarian low-cost airline Wizz Air will soon resume its Budapest-Chișinău flights. The direct connection could greatly help the further development of bilateral economic cooperation between Hungary and Moldova, Péter Szijjártó said in Budapest on Thursday.
Wizz Air has not yet made the flight available on its booking system, Budflyer writes. The route was launched in March 2022, but was suspended on 14 March 2023 due to the uncertain security situation caused by the Russian-Ukrainian war.
Read also:
- Wizz Air to offer 70 destinations from Hungary this summer
- Breaking: Wizz Air resumes flights between Budapest and Tel Aviv
UPDATE: Wizz Air confirms resumption
According to a Wizz Air press release, the airline will resume the flight in March and will operate two flights a week between the two capitals. Tickets can be purchased via the Wizz Air website and the airline’s mobile app.
- Flight days: Thursday, Sunday
- First flight: 31 March, 2024
- Tickets: from HUF 7790 (EUR 20.12)
Orbán: Hungary supports Moldova’s EU integration
Hungary supports Moldova’s European Union membership unconditionally, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said after talks with Moldovan Prime Minister Dorin Recean in Budapest on Thursday.
Besides the advantages of membership for Moldova, “the EU would also benefit from new energy, from countries known to be inhabited by balanced, stable and hard-working people,” Orbán told a joint press conference with Recean.
Moldova signed the association agreement with the EU eight years ago, which Orbán called a “painfully long time”. He added that he hoped they could “recover some of the lost time by speeding up the accession talks”.
Hungary would also benefit from a tariff exemption between Moldova and the EU, Orbán said. Hungary is also working to re-establish direct flights between the two countries.
The prime minister said relations were untrammeled by any unresolved disputes, and each had a positive view of the other and sought cooperation. At the same time, the intensity and strength of diplomatic relations were not what they could be, he added, so the purpose of today’s meeting was to forge closer cooperation.
Orbán said Moldova was “on a straight path” to European Union membership and Hungary understood the geopolitical environment that made its EU accession a matter of urgency.
The prime minister offered to host a large number of students from Moldova at its diplomatic academy.
The two countries have been in diplomatic relations for 32 years and signed a strategic partnership agreement four years ago, Orbán noted, adding that bilateral trade was worth 200 million dollars.
“Our pharmaceutical exports are growing rapidly, our food exports are solid and we also have a presence in the banking sector and in aviation,” Orbán said.
As both countries are energy importers, Orbán said, it was in the interest of both Hungary and Moldova that energy networks in central and south-eastern Europe should be as developed as possible, also in the areas of economic and military security, he said
Wizz Air to offer 70 destinations from Hungary this summer
Hungarian-based low-cost airline, Wizz Air, has recently announced its summer schedule. Wizz Air is set to offer more seats than any other competitors, providing nearly 4 million seats and serving 70 destinations through its Budapest and Debrecen flights.
During the last summer season, nearly 3 million passengers from Hungary flew with Wizz Air. The company reported that the most popular destinations included seaside resorts and historic cities, known for their attractions.
This summer, Wizz Air plans to offer even more seats compared to last year, with almost 4 million seats available on its Hungarian routes, as reported by airportal.hu.
Read also:
- Wizz Air passenger numbers on Hungary flights reach 5.2 million in 2023
- VIDEO: Storm Isha rages in UK, Wizz Air flight affected
The airline will be operating flights from Budapest and Debrecen to a total of 70 destinations. Some of the popular locations include Larnaca (Cyprus), Iraclia, Corfu, and Rhodes (Greece), Burgas (Bulgaria), Alghero and Catania (Italy), Antalya (Turkey), Malta, Alicante, Malaga, and Palma de Mallorca (Spain). In addition, thanks to the airline’s new flights, travelers will also have the opportunity to visit Sarm es-Sejk and Cairo (Egypt), Copenhagen (Denmark) from Budapest and Rome (Italy) from Debrecen this summer, according to airportal.hu.
Wizz Air anticipates another outstanding year, building upon the record-breaking period of last year. Rival airline, Ryanair, has already announced its summer schedule, offering 3 million seats.
Passengers can purchase tickets for Wizz Air flights starting from as little as HUF 5,790 (EUR 15.02).
VIDEO: Storm Isha rages in UK, Wizz Air flight affected
A hurricane-force storm hit the United Kindgom on Sunday evening. It caused major traffic disruption across the island country. Several flights were only able to take off with significant delays, a huge number of flights were cancelled. The flight of Hungarian low-cost airline Wizz Air was also affected.
Isha arrives: Orange alert issued
The UK Met Office has issued the second highest, orange alert for almost the entire country: the Atlantic storm Isha has arrived, Economx reports. According to the report from the service on Sunday night, the strongest gusts of almost 150 kilometres per hour were recorded in the Snowdonia area of north Wales. However, winds of 90-120 kilometres per hour are also common in London and many other parts of the country.
Precautionary measures, no power due to the storm
In Scotland, the authorities have brought rail traffic to a complete halt from Sunday evening until Monday morning as a precautionary measure. In England and Wales, speed restrictions have been imposed on several sections of rail lines. More than 45,000 homes in Northern Ireland and 7,000 in England and Wales have lost power due to damage to the power lines.
According to The Guardian, rail services have been suspended since 7 PM on Sunday. Dozens of lines are closed due to fallen trees and flooding. One person was hit by falling debris after scaffolding came down in Belfast. The ambulance service attended to them at the scene.
Read also:
- Major changes to Budapest–London flights in summer
- Police called to Wizz Air flight after landing in Budapest
Air traffic disrupted, flights cancelled and delayed, Wizz Air affected
Air traffic was disrupted mainly at airports in the north-west of England, Scotland and Ireland. At Dublin airport, 114 flights had been cancelled by Sunday evening, with many flights from the UK to Belfast diverted to other airports, Economx writes.
However, at Heathrow, the largest UK airport, traffic was steady despite the gale-force winds. There were no reports of flight cancellations until Sunday night. British Airways’ evening flight from Heathrow to Budapest took off after a one-hour delay. Hungarian low-cost carrier Wizz Air’s Budapest flight from Luton airport was also able to depart after a delay of more than two hours.
Watch two Wizz Air planes try to land and fail due to the storm:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhZSV8HWl8g
Unusual cold before Isha, warmer weather after it
Storm Isha, which struck the British Isles from the Atlantic Ocean, was forecast to have passed by Monday morning. It was unseasonably cold in the UK for more than a week before the storm arrived. Temperatures in the north reached well below -10 degrees Celsius in the mornings. However, Storm Isha brought significant relief: highs of plus 10-14 degrees Celsius are forecast for this week.
According to The Guardian, Storm Isha is the ninth named storm that hit the UK since the season began in September.
Wizz Air passenger numbers on Hungary flights reach 5.2 million in 2023
The number of passengers on Wizz Air’s Hungary flights rose by 29 percent to 5.2 million last year, the low-cost airline said on Friday.
Overall, passenger numbers of the Hungarian airline climbed 32 percent to 60.3 million.
Wizz Air has 15 aircraft based in Budapest and Debrecen, in eastern Hungary. It flies to 70 destinations in 29 countries from Hungary.
Read also:
Wizz Air passengers refunded, regulator satisfied
Enforcement action against Wizz Air has led to £1.24 million being refunded to passengers, the UK Civil Aviation Authority has announced.
The UK Civil Aviation Authority took enforcement action against Wizz Air last year following significant concerns over high volumes of complaints about the airline not paying passengers what they are owed and failing to meet its passenger rights obligations.
Passengers were left frustrated because they believed the airline had failed to meet its passenger rights obligations, particularly around providing alternative flights to enable passengers to get to their destinations when their flight had been cancelled.
Passengers also felt Wizz Air was not providing appropriate care when flights were significantly delayed.
The undertakings required Wizz Air to make changes to its policies to ensure that in future it consistently complies with its re-routing and care obligations.
Wizz Air was also required to review previously assessed claims it received for replacement flight costs, transfers when replacement flights were via different airports, and care and assistance (typically hotel costs) following flight disruption.
The airline cooperated with the action and has now completed its review of claims. This has led to more than 25,000 claims being re-examined, and additional payments given in around 6,000 cases.
Paul Smith, Consumer Director at the UK Civil Aviation Authority, said:
“This is good news for passengers and our concerns have been validated by the outcome of our actions.
“While we welcome the steps taken by Wizz Air after falling short in its treatment of disrupted passengers, airlines should routinely look after passengers and uphold their rights when flights are delayed and cancelled.
“Passengers have every right to expect their claims to be resolved quickly, efficiently and in line with the regulations. These outcomes will now provide Wizz Air’s passengers with a better experience.”
The regulator’s action covered claims made for flights due to depart from or arrive into a UK airport on or after 18 March 2022.
No action was needed on the part of these passengers to ensure their claims were reviewed.
Following Wizz Air’s review of claims, the UK Civil Aviation Authority undertook sample checks to gain assurance that passengers have received what they were owed. These checks have provided confidence that Wizz Air has now met its air passenger rights obligations for these previously considered claims. These obligations apply to all airlines operating into and from the UK.
The UK Civil Aviation Authority also worked closely and in cooperation with Wizz Air to improve its policies, procedures and passenger communications. UK passengers should now be better informed about their rights and options when faced with disruption.
Read also:
Breaking: Wizz Air resumes flights between Budapest and Tel Aviv
Hungarian low-cost airline Wizz Air announces the re-launch of its flights between Budapest and Tel Aviv.
Passengers can fly to the second largest Israeli city three times a week from 1 March. In addition to Budapest, the airline will also operate flights to Tel Aviv from Bucharest, Krakow, London-Luton, Rome-Fiumicino and Sofia from spring. Tickets can be purchased via the Wizz Air website and the airline’s mobile app.
| Route | Flight frequency | First flight | Tickets |
| Budapest – Tel Aviv | Monday, Friday, Sunday | 1 March, 2024 | Starting from HUF 9 790 (EUR 25.7) |
Read also:
VIDEO: Hungarian Wizz Air’s stewardess spotted a purple UFO following their plane
The 36-year-old flight attendant spotted an unidentified flying object, or unidentified aerial phenomenon (UAP). She was on board a Wizz Air flight from England to Poland.
According to origo.hu, a Hungarian government-close online news outlet, a strange, purple-pink phenomenon appeared above the wing of Wizz Air’s Airbus during its journey from England to Poland. The plane took off in London-Luton and landed in Szymany, Poland.
The 36-year-old Denisa Tanase saw it and took a short video of the purple phenomenon with her phone.
Tanase said that the phenomenon followed the Airbus 320. Here is the video:
She reported the phenomenon to the captain, but he said nothing appeared on his or the air control’s radars.
“I have been working as a stewardess, but never before have I seen anything like that”, Denisa said.
Passengers saw the phenomenon as well. As a result, everybody acted confused on board, but nobody could explain what happened exactly. The pilots did not experience anything. At first, they thought that their pink uniform was mirrored by the plane’s window, but the phenomenon was following the aircraft.
She said he would not exclude that she saw something extraterrestrial. As an outsider, she would probably think it was Photoshop, however, she made the footage.
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