Gábor Korom was an experienced pilot of the Hungarian low-cost company, Wizz Air, but crashed into the cold sea near Sweden. The tragic accident happened more than half a year ago, but Swedish authorities have not yet concluded the relevant examinations. Mr Korom’s father believes his son died under suspicious circumstances.
According to Blikk, Mihály Korom, the father of the tragically died Wizz Air pilot, cannot process the fact that his son is no more. He thinks that his crash happened under suspicious circumstances. Gábor’s last words were ‘No Sir’, which meant he did not have devices to help him navigate in bad weather conditions. Minutes later, he and his co-pilot crashed into the water.
The Swedish authorities have not yet concluded the relevant examinations, but everybody suspects an engine failure caused the accident. The wreck is already out from the sea but remains in Sweden. Gábor Korom thinks the Swedish are too slow.
Based on eye witnesses, the plane crashed in total silence.
Gábor worked for Wizz Air in their Katowice and Temeswar bases. His friends would like to erect a memorial for him and his co-pilot near Budapest.
Read also:
Wizz Air pilots died in a horrific crash, HEREis their last conversation
Hungarian Wizz Air to conquer India – Read more HERE
Wizz Air and Ryanair announced plane tickets for a discounted price, and you can also buy your Sziget Festival 2024 ticket much cheaper. We’ll show you how below.
According to turizmus.com, Revolut and Hungary’s Sziget Festival announced a cooperation. Thanks to that, the application will help sell Sziget tickets, granting special offers for its users.
Early Bird tickets are all sold out for next year’s Sziget. However, Revolut users may grab discounted tickets in the framework of the Revolut Black Friday Flash Sale between 24 and 26 November.
Those who register first and pay with Revolut Play get a EUR 20 refund for their first ticket, valid during the entire season. Users should expect additional promotions and discounts thanks to the cooperation of Revolut and Sziget Festival.
Tamás Kádár, the main organiser of the Sziget Festival, said that they sold more than 20,000 Sziget passes during the first two Early Bird campaigns. He added there would not be more Early Bird campaigns. However, interest and guest needs are so high that they decided to cooperate with Revolut and launch a special offer for the app’s users.
Cheap Wizz Air and Ryanair tickets or fake Black Friday discounts?
According to utazomajom.com, Wizz Air and Ryanair, the biggest low-cost airlines in Hungary, also offer Black Friday discounts. However, the travel news outlet warns travellers they should not buy such tickets. That is because all budget airlines follow dynamic pricing. As a result, if demand grows for a flight, prices skyrocket. As a result, prices can go very high around the days of Black Friday and become moderate after that period.
It might happen that a discounted plane ticket price now is more expensive than a normal one was a couple of days ago.
Therefore, utazomajom.hu recommends everybody buy a plane ticket only if they saw its price days before and the current price is lower. Otherwise, we should all wait until the end of the promotion period.
Read also:
Hungarian Wizz Air to conquer India – Read more HERE
Attention! A Ryanair flight to Budapest set to be cancelled soon – Details in THISarticle
In a strategic move that has taken many by surprise, Wizz Air is gearing up to make a significant mark in the Indian aviation industry. The airline seems to be exploring various scenarios to conquer Indian airspace, and recent developments suggest that this might happen sooner than anticipated.
License approval and future challenges
As mentioned in Budflyer’s recent Facebook post, Wizz Air’s Maltese subsidiary has recently secured a license from ENAC, the Italian National Civil Aviation Organisation. This license grants permission for the operation of up to 7 flights per week between Italy and India. However, there is a catch – the license is currently valid only for the upcoming 2023/2024 winter season. This limited timeframe adds an element of urgency to Wizz Air’s plans for expansion in the Indian market.
Despite obtaining the license, Wizz Air faces some significant hurdles in executing its Indian venture seamlessly. Notably, the airline does not possess an aircraft capable of covering the considerable distance between Italy and India without the need for a layover. Adding to this difficulty is the postponed arrival of the A321XLR aircraft, a plane that Wizz Air had designated for its long-haul operations.
Technical assistance form the Middle East
To overcome the existing constraints on aircraft, industry insiders propose that Wizz Air may opt for introducing layover flights as a temporary measure during the initial stages of entering the Indian market. This temporary approach allows the airline to kickstart operations while awaiting the delivery of the A321XLR, a long-range, narrow-body aircraft that promises enhanced efficiency.
In an effort to ensure the feasibility of layover flights, Wizz Air is investigating the potential of utilising its bases in Saudi Arabia or Abu Dhabi to obtain technical support. These locations, strategically positioned, could serve as crucial stopover points, ensuring a smooth transition for flights between Italy and India.
Looking ahead despite hurdles
While navigating its strategic move, recent seismic activity on Iceland’s Reykjanes peninsula has prompted flight cancellations and adjustments for various airlines, including Wizz Air. Crucially, these disruptions are unrelated to Wizz Air’s license approval or aircraft constraints; they result from adverse weather conditions rather than seismic activity. Travellers are urged to stay updated through Keflavík Airport’s website, HVG reports.
As Wizz Air navigates these challenges, both in Iceland and on the path to Indian market entry, the airline’s strategic move reflects a commitment to overcoming obstacles and making a substantial impact on the competitive landscape of the aviation sector. The evolving circumstances showcase the dynamic nature of the industry, where adaptability is key to success. Only time will reveal the outcome of Wizz Air’s ambitious venture as it manages unforeseen weather disruptions while pursuing strategic expansion into new markets. If you wish to end the holiday season with a mini-break, check out these extremely cheap flights from Hungary.
Wizz Air is a company on the up in every sense of the phrase. Connecting 228 destinations across 56 countries, the Hungary-based budget carrier has undergone rapid expansion across Western Europe and since it was founded in 2003 has made a name for itself as one of the leading competitors in the world of no-frills air travel.
In June 2022, Wizz Air was named the most sustainable low-cost airline at the World Finance Sustainability Awards due to its impressive commitment to offsetting its carbon footprint through fuel-saving initiatives and an ambitious fleet renewal program.
This combination of assured sustainability and affordability alongside fresh new management has seen the airline rise from the ashes of the pandemic and continue to soar.
Creative outsourcing management
Since his recent appointment as Wizz Air’s chief executive officer, Jozsef Varadi has been keen to outsource much of its ground operations and administration.
One such partnership is with Menzies Aviation who have played a pivotal role when it comes to developing Wizz Air’s environmental commitments. The global provider of passenger, ramp, and cargo handling services has been assisting the airline with its commitment to reducing its carbon footprint and CO2 Emissions.
One particularly impressive endeavor is the introduction of fully electric turnarounds which are being currently trialled at Budapest airport. Electric turns use electronically powered systems for steering and turning on the ground. These electrically actuated systems can reduce on-the-ground carbon emissions by around 80% per aircraft when compared to using diesel-powered or traditional hydraulic systems.
Yvonne Moynihan, Corporate and ESG Officer at Wizz Air said:
“We are the first airline at Budapest Airport to perform fully electric turns thanks to our partnership with Menzies Aviation. It demonstrates another step in our target to further reduce our CO2 intensity by 25% by 2030”
A successful relationship with Budapest Airport
2022 was an eventful, yet successful year for Budapest Airport. Despite unforeseen geopolitical issues, an economic slowdown, and the effects of the energy crises, over 75% of its pre-COVID passenger traffic was recovered with over 12.2 million passengers jetting off from the airport.
Despite the upheaval, the airport has remained ambitious and has, like Wizz Air, been a front-runner in the promotion of an electric-first approach, with the aim of reducing the carbon footprint of its operations.
Alongside Wizz Air’s partnership with Menzies, Budapest airport’s recent expansion program and provision of charging infrastructure have made it an ideal base for the airline to trial its ambitious suitability plans such as the aforementioned electric turns.
A sustained approach to remaining an affordable airline
As it currently stands, Wizz Air is one of the front runners in offering the lowest prices for flights. As with most no-frills airlines, the company keeps costs down by allowing passengers to opt in for services such as seat reservations and additional baggage and offers cost-saving services such as free online check-ins and the ability to self-print boarding passes at home.
Despite the cost-cutting, figures show a significant 24% growth achieved in April to September 2023 whilst in the financial year ending, 2022, the airline generated over 1.6 billion euros in revenue from its operations.
Photo: www.facebook.com/wizzair
What’s next for Wizz Air?
Given the airline’s reputation for sustainability and commitment to cutting carbon emissions, it comes as no surprise that Budapest Airport is keen to build on their partnership by increasing the number of flights with Wizz Air and upping the destination availability with the airline.
The operator already offers over 60 flights across Europe from Budapest including London, Athens and Berlin, and the airline’s route map is constantly developing. New flights to destinations including Sharm El Sheikh, Antalya and Copenhagen have been recently added to the airline’s route network.
Varadi has also announced he intends to increase the number of aircraft stationed at Budapest to 15. Whilst outside of Hungary, the ambitious CEO is drawing up plans to grow the current fleet of 179 aircraft to 500 before the end of the decade.
Amidst the myriad tales of economic downturn, disruptions to global supply chains and inflation concerns, it seems Wiz Air is a much-needed success story in a somewhat unpredictable economy.
Through a combination of considered outsourcing, ambitious yet achievable expansion and a commitment to sustainability and affordability, it seems Wiz Air is an airline that will continue to rise!
Flights to London, Rome and Milan will resume from Chisinau, Moldova from 14 December. These flights were previously cancelled due to security concerns over the Russian-Ukrainian war.
The Hungarian low-cost airline Wizz Air terminated some flights from Chisinau, Moldova, citing security concerns back in March. As aviationweek.com reports, the safety of passengers and crew remained Wizz’s “No. 1 priority”, which is why it decided to cancel flights due to the war in the region.
Now, the carrier has announced that it would resume flights between London Luton Airport (LTN) and Chisinau International Airport (KIV), Moldova, simpleflying.com reports.
The airline will operate flights between London and Chisinau on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Ticket prices start from EUR 22.3 for the 2,180-kilometre journey.
Photo: FB/Wizz Air
At the same time, Wizz Air also stated that it would connect the Moldovan capital with Milan (Malpensa Airport) and Rome (Fiumicino International Airport). Both flights will operate twice a week, and the flights to the two Italian cities also start on 14 December, 2023. Two weekly services will be offered from Milan and Rome.
According to the Wizz statement, “it should be noted that these cities of strategic importance will offer passengers the opportunity to create convenient connections through other intermediate points as well.”
The return of the Hungarian low-cost airline to Moldova was welcomed by Moldovan Prime Minister Dorin Recean. According to him, Wizz Air’s return was a result of the government’s “constant efforts to ensure new international connections for all our citizens and to stimulate economic development.”
Wizz Air suspended its operations from Chisinau, citing security concerns of Moldova’s airspace in February 2023.
It’s fair to say that summer is the most popular time of the year for holidays and travel. However, there are plenty of cheap flights during the winter as well, as planes are not typically overbooked during this season.Budget airlines such as Wizz Air offer tickets for as low as EUR 10 to various destinations departing from Budapest.
London
If you’re particularly lucky, you can find tickets from Hungary to the British capital for a mere EUR 10 in December. However, in January, there are plenty of return tickets available for the modest price of EUR 20. It’s not every day that you can get your hands on such a sweet deal.
Dammam
Not a fan of winter? Perhaps the cold and gloominess dampen your spirits? Look no further – Dammam is the ideal destination. Bask in the sunshine and 30-degree warmth for just EUR 10. It’s almost incredible that you can get such a cheap ticket for such a lengthy journey. Sounds a bit too good to be true? Yes, we have to take into consideration the visa fee for Saudi Arabia, which might be a bit pricey. But at least you can use that visa for a year.
Madrid
Securing a good deal on a trip to Spain has always been a challenge. Even now, extensive searching is required to find something reasonably priced. Fortunately, between the 5th and 12th of December, return tickets are available for EUR 20. Who would say no to such an enticing price?
Rome
The romantically charged Rome is a highly popular destination. Many would like to immerse themselves into the culture, the gastronomy and the rich history of the Italian capital. While luck is a crucial factor, flights for just EUR 10 can be found in January and February. It’s always worth checking weekdays, as they tend to be less popular.
Stockholm
If exploring the myriad small islands of Stockholm and inhaling the crisp air of the Swedish capital has long been a desire, seize the opportunity! Numerous tickets are priced at just EUR 10 for both January and February. Thankfully, Wizz Air has extended its services to Stockholm Arlanda, making it quick and convenient to reach the city centre, as detailed HERE.
Flights from Debrecen
From Debrecen, there are numerous EUR 10 flights to destinations like Cyprus, Thessaloniki, Naples, Tirana, Podgorica and Milan. Even for more popular destinations, you can still catch some good bargains ranging between EUR 20 and EUR 40. This includes Madeira, Iceland, Dubai, Tenerife and the list goes on.
As we reported earlier, Wizz Air was forced to suspend nearly a quarter of its fleet, read more HERE.
By the end of March, the Hungarian low-cost carrier Wizz Air will have to ground around 45 of its A320neo family aircraft due to the overhaul of Pratt & Whitney GTF engines. Wizz plans to compensate for the lost capacity by extending the leases of older aircraft and renting new ones.
As AIRportal.hu reports, Wizz Air is forecasting that it will have to ground a total of 45 of its aircraft by the end of its financial year (until 31 March 2024), according to the latest service order issued by Pratt & Whitney on 3 November.
The final number of aircraft to be inspected may still change. However, it is expected that around a quarter of the 190-strong fleet will be grounded.
The engines involved in the second phase will be removed from the aircraft from mid-January 2024 and sent for inspection and repair to the manufacturer’s designated workshop.
To alleviate the capacity shortfall, the low-cost airline has prepared an action plan. It includes the renewal of several A320-200 and A321-200 aircraft leases from previous generations and the conclusion of agreements with the lessors in several cases, AIRporta.hu writes.
In addition, Wizz Air will increase the utilisation of its existing fleet. It also expects that new aircraft from Airbus arriving in this period will help to offset the shortfall.
Wizz Air has requested compensation from the manufacturer to mitigate the financial impact of the failure.
The carrier has already announced its summer schedule for 2024. Wizz Air plans to offer flights from Budapest and Debrecen to a total of 70 destinations. Read more about their summer schedule HERE.
The Hungarian low-cost airline expected higher income between 1 April and 30 September, but bad news came. What is more, they will have to take out more planes from service due to Pratt & Whitney’s engine problems.
According to Budflyer, a Hungarian travel-focused Facebook page, Wizz Air’snet revenues in the period between 1 April and 30 September were reduced to EUR 350-400 million from the EUR 350-450 million level. Because of the company’s recently published financial report, shares fell by 6.3%.
Meanwhile, the low-cost airline struggles with plane engine problems. That will have a considerable effect on next year’s income and traffic of the firm, experts believe. The core of the problem is the engines made by Pratt & Whitney.
Microscopic pollution was found inside the jet engines made by the company. Experts found contaminated powder metal. According to aviationweek.com, that can reduce a part’s service lift. The trouble was discovered in a Vietnam Airlines jet in March 2020 in an A321neo engine.
FAA and other regulators prescribed checks, but said all airlines can wait until the next shop visit. However, later, their risk assessment experts said they would like to go through the process “at a much-accelerated basis.”
That is because the contamination might result in crashes inside the engines. However, to replace the affected discs, you have to take out the engine, dismantle it and then put it together again. As a result, Wizz Air will take out multiple planes from traffic from 15 January. In the case of one jet, the inspection might take even 60 days. The entire process will take 18 months and will result in reductions in airline capacity since it will affect an altogether number of 45 Airbus jets.
“The bigger issue is really how to complete the engine inspection program with the least degree of disruptions to the operation,” CEO József Váradi told Reuters. He added that the program would limit growth in 2024. Várad said they would like to acquire new jets and prolong the validity of Wizz MultiPass. That is how they plan to keep their capacity.
Aerospace supplier RTX said they would check out 600-700 geared turbofan engines (GTFs).
According to the news outlet, the future of many European airlines looks murky even if we do not consider the engine problems. That is because of the jet fuel prices, supply chain issues and a lack of economic clarity.
Meanwhile, we wrote HEREthat Wizz Air introduced an unprecedented service at Budapest Airport. In THIS article, you may read about the company’s latest award and to which European cities it plans to raise flight frequency.
At Budapest Airport, ground handling for certain flights will be conducted entirely using electric means.
Green innovation in Budapest
Budapest Airport and its primary service partner, Menzies Aviation, held a joint press conference, where they announced that the airport in the Hungarian capital is implementing an environmentally friendly innovation based on the charging infrastructure for the electrical equipment provided at the airport.
Menzies aims to have 25% of its assets powered by renewable energy by 2025. Hungarian-owned Wizz Air has joined this initiative. The airline will receive support from electric baggage tractors and belt loaders, passenger stairs equipped with solar panels, ground power units, push-back vehicles, drinking water and toilet units. These changes will enhance energy efficiency and operational performance.
Roadster.hu notes that electric ground handling can reduce carbon emissions by up to 80% per aircraft compared to diesel-powered equipment.
Wizz Air is the first to embrace this change
Menzies Aviation can supply two Wizz Air aircraft with fully electric equipment simultaneously.
“We are the first airline at Budapest Airport to fully electrify our ground handling services, all thanks to our collaboration with Menzies Aviation. We aim to demonstrate our commitment to reducing our carbon footprint by an additional 25% by 2030. Our aircraft based in Budapest consist exclusively of Airbus A321neo aircraft, renowned for their exceptional environmental performance, enabling us to operate with the lowest carbon intensity in Europe. We also recognise the significance of reducing indirect emissions and welcome Menzies Aviation’s transition from diesel to electric ground support equipment. As the largest operator at Budapest Airport, we look forward to continuing our collaboration with local partners to discover innovative solutions that will assist us in achieving our objectives as part of a broader industry-wide endeavour,” stated Yvonne Moynihan, Director of Sustainability at Wizz Air.
Wizz Air operates fourteen aircraft in Budapest, all of which are narrow-body Airbus A321neo aircraft. In the financial year 2023, the airline achieved its lowest-ever carbon intensity of 53.8 grams of carbon dioxide per passenger-kilometre, setting an industry record.
We wrote that the Hungarian low-cost airline opened two new routes to Egypt. From October, you can travel with Wizz to Cairo and Sharm el-Sheikh. However, the budget airline announced there would be other European destinations where they will increase flight frequency in the winter season.
According to Budflyer, a Hungarian travel news Facebook page, Wizz Air will expand the number of flights to Istanbul and Liverpool in December. That means there will be three flights weekly to Liverpool from Budapest Airport. The new flight will take off on Mondays. Moreover, they will also increase flight frequency on the Budapest-Istanbul line. Flights will double from December in that direction, and the planes will take off on Wednesdays and Sundays. Wizz Airis to add extra evening flights on those days to the morning ones.
It seems Istanbul and Liverpool are both popular among passengers travelling from Budapest. The former might be because of the developing Turkish-Hungarian economic relationship, while the latter’s cause is the growing number of Hungarian guest workers in the United Kingdom.
According to Világgazdaság, despite the ongoing Israeli-Palestine war in the Middle East, Wizz Air’s traffic grew in October. Passenger traffic increased by 19.4% last month. More than 5.4 million people chose to travel with the Hungarian low-cost airline in October. The flight utilisation reached 92.5%.
The good numbers came after Wizz Air had to suspend all its flights to Israel until 15 November because of the ongoing war in the Gaza district.
The airline announced that from next summer, it begins to expand its key markets in Italy, Romania, and Albania. They will increase flight frequency to Rome and Milan and place four new Airbus A321neo planes in the Italian capital and the North Italian city. HEREwe wrote about Wizz’s new Egyptian flights.
Wizz Air won prestigious award again
Furthermore, Bucharest will get two new neo planes from June just like Tirana. The eighth modern jet will go to Gdansk in Poland from April.
From November, they will launch new flights to Glasgow from Budapest and Bucharest, serving guest workers from the region. Moreover, new flights will serve people travelling from Debrecen International Airport to Rome, Fiumicino from December.
The company’s carbon dioxide emission was 5% lower this October than in 2022 October. Furthermore, the value of their shares rose by 3.6% in London.
According to MTI, Wizz Air won the title of Global Environmental Sustainability Airline Group of the Year for the second time from the CAPA (Centre for Aviation) in Kuala Lumpur. CAPA awards those airlines that focus on reducing their carbon emission and pay attention to climate change in their business policies. Wizz Air operates one of the world’s youngest fleets and is replacing its old jets with Airbus A321neo planes, which are much more sustainable. Moreover, the airline already has a Sustainable Aircraft Fuel (SAF) strategy. CEO József Váradi said they would like to reduce their carbon emission by 25% by 2030. Wizz Air’s fleet currently includes 189 Airbus A320 and A321 planes.
We wrote about the Hungarian Competition Authority’s new investigation against Wizz Air HERE.
Read also:
New Wizz flight between Hungary and Africa? – Read more in THISarticle
The Hungarian low-cost airline, Wizz Air, cancelled a flight bound for Vienna, leaving a group of 20 Hungarian passengers stranded in the Middle Eastern country’s capital, Riyadh.
These unfortunate events transpired on a Sunday afternoon. As reported by RTL Klub Hungary’s most popular commercial TV channel, some Hungarians attempted to check in at Riyadh’s international airport as their scheduled flight back to Budapest was abruptly cancelled without explanation. A group of 20 Hungarians had intended to return to Budapest via Vienna on the following Monday.
One of the passengers, Tamás Varga, described how they patiently waited in the check-in queue, only to realise after some time that their flight had been cancelled. Fortunately, they had accommodation arranged, courtesy of the company they were employed by in Saudi Arabia, which covered the expenses and facilitated the room bookings.
Their ordeal continued the following day when their new flight was also cancelled without any explanation. According to Mr Varga, Wizz Air, the Hungarian low-cost airline, offered no assistance. Ultimately, the Saudi company they worked for stepped in and helped them book tickets on another airline’s flight.
Wizz Air’s response
Rtl Klub approached Wizz Air for their perspective on the matter, but the airline did not give a response. Instead, they issued a generic statement, emphasising that Wizz Air always informs its passengers regarding flight changes. However, they mentioned that intermediaries or travel agencies might not always relay this information to passengers in a timely manner.
In the case of flight cancellations, passengers have the option to either rebook their flights for free or receive a full 100% cash refund. Furthermore, if flight rescheduling occurs due to the airline’s error, Wizz Air reimburses passengers for accommodation and other associated costs.
We previously reported HERE that Wizz Air had introduced new flights to Egypt, bringing the pyramids and Sharm-el-Sheikh holidays closer to Hungary. In THISarticle, you can read about the Hungarian Competition Authority’s new investigation into Wizz Air following passenger complaints regarding their online ticket sales.
The Hungarian low-cost airline is continuously expanding in the Middle East, Africa and Asia and the new flights perfectly fit into that pattern. From mid-October, Wizz Air began to serve passengers on the Budapest-Cairo and Budapest-Sharm el-Sheikh routes. Therefore, the pyramids and the Red Sea became more easily reachable for tourists, travelling from Hungary’s Budapest Airport.
According to Hello Magyar, Wizz Air operates three weekly flights to Cairo and Sharm-el-Sheikh from October. The planes take off on Monday, Wednesday and Friday at Budapest Airport. Those travelling to Cairo may check out ancient Egypt with its pyramids, sphinx and many other cultural and historical artefacts and buildings. Meanwhile, in Sharm-el-Shekih you may spend a Mediterranean holiday, even in the midst of winter, with scuba diving, surfing and bathing in the balmy waters.
Kam Jandu, the CEO of the Budapest Airport, was pleased to announce the new flights to Egypt. He underlined the significant demand for the Cairo and Sharm-el-Sheikh flights, which he expects to remain well sought-after in the winter season as well. Both flights are priced affordably. You may purchase your tickets from HUF 16,070 (EUR 42). The first Sharm el-Sheikh flight took off on 22 October, while the first plane left Budapest for Cairo today. Here is Budapest Airport’s post on that:
Wizz Air is to offer more flights to Hurghada, Abu Dhabi, Madeira, Tenerife, Alicante, Madrid and Milan. Furthermore, they will expand the number of flights to Basel and Keflavík.
We reported earlier HEREthat the Hungarian Competition Authority launched a new investigation against Wizz Air following passenger complaints concerning their online ticket sales. Meanwhile, the low-cost airline might open new routes to Africa’s Rwanda soon. Read our article HERE on that.
The Hungarian Parliament discussed a bill on Thursday about the announcement of an air traffic agreement between the governments of Hungary and Rwanda.
According to Budflyer, the government believes the agreement would help strengthen the ties between Africaand Hungary. Péter Ágh, a secretary of the construction and transport ministry, said the Rwandan cabinet established contact with the Hungarian government on the issue, and a Rwandan airline would like to serve the route. However, it needs a bilateral agreement to do so. Such an agreement would allow to establish connections for transporting goods and passengers between all of the two countries’ airports.
Sándor F. Kovács from the parliamentary group of the governing Fidesz party added that Hungary signed cooperation agreements with twenty African countries in the past few years. Therefore, the government’s Eastern and Southern opening is successful. We wrote HEREhow Hungary helps Chad, one of the poorest countries in the world, probably because that is how Orbán courts Marcon, whose last regional ally is Chad. In THISarticle, you may find some photos and videos about the mission there.
Budlflyer reminded that Hungary could renew its air traffic agreement with Ethiopia. As a result, Budapest Airport and Ethiopian Airlines are in talks concerning a direct flight connection between the two countries.
We wrote HEREthat Péter Szijjártó, Hungary’s foreign minister, recommended Wizz Air, Hungary’s low-cost carrier, to create a direct flight between Budapest and Armenia’s capital, Yerevan. It might happen that a similar scheme will be followed in the case of Rwanda after the bilateral agreement is signed.
The Hungarian Competition Authority (GVH) started an investigation against the Hungarian low-cost airline Wizz Air. That comes after the budget airline made passengers pay for their seats even 18 hours prior to take off.
According to 444.hu, one of their readers, János, wrote that Wizz Airmakes its passengers pay for their seats even though they already bought the ticket. Otherwise, they are not able to do the check-in process. In the second phase of the online check-in procedure, the airline’s system does not show the third, free seat option. As a result, many may accept to pay some extra money for a service they do not want.
Wizz Air’s customer service support did not help János, and their press centre said that nothing irregular happened. They ran some tests and said the system worked perfectly. However, the Hungarian Competition Authority began an investigation into the issue. The process is ongoing, but the low-cost airline denies that they intentionally make their customers pay for their seats.
If we buy a ticket for a Wizz Airflight, we can pay extra money for a seat. That is how we can choose where to sit during the flight. Of course, this is extra service which is not obligatory to pay for. Those who would not like to can do the online check-in 24 hours before the take-off. Those paying extra for their seats can do so one month before their flight takes off.
Unfair commercial practice by Wizz Air?
However, János and other passengers said they experienced there was no free option in the online check-in system even though the flight was due in only 18 hours. János can prove that with screenshots. Once, he would have had to pay GBP 26 for a seat if he had wanted to travel. Wizz Air told János their system worked perfectly, but GVH‘s opinion differs.
They started an investigation due to unfair commercial practice, hvg.hu wrote. GVH wrote to the passenger that they have an ongoing investigation into the issue. They added they warned all airlines to abolish ticket selling and advertisement practices able to distort consumer decisions unnoticed. In October, they said that provided there were no changes on the market in that regard, they would start investigations.
Wizz Air did not acknowledge their possible mistake but promised to help the work of the GVH in all ways. Furthermore, they said they do everything to comply with all the relevant rules.
Interested in news about Wizz Air? HEREis an article about the new flights they announced for this autumn-winter period. In THISarticle, you may read about the Wizz Air-Ryanair battle for Europe.
Hungarian-based Wizz Air has announced additional flight cancellations to the Spanish coast for the upcoming winter period.
Frequent flights to Spain
Wizz Air now operates flights to Alicante with triple the capacity compared to the previous year. Last year, we had three flights per week, but this year, in addition to Wizz Air’s six weekly flights, Ryanair has also introduced three additional flights. Consequently, Wizz Air now provides daily flights to Spain, except on Mondays.
The expansion will come into effect from 5 December. Until then, passengers will be served by four weekly flights departing from Hungary, and this condensed schedule will remain in effect until the end of March.
The rationale behind this increase in flights remains uncertain, as there has been no mention of substantial passenger demand. According to okosutazas.hu, the airport there may be offering the airline attractive prices. One thing is certain: passengers will benefit, as they can now travel to Spain at very affordable fares.
When we think of landmarks, iconic examples such as Paris’ Eiffel Tower or Rome’s Colosseum may spring to mind. However, there is a long list of amazing landmarks that often get overlooked.
Travelling throughout Autumn offers tourists cheaper costs and less frantic airports or hotels. It leads to the question, what lesser-known landmark should you visit?
To help travellers, Wizz Airhas completed a ranking of the best lesser-known landmarks and hidden gem locations around the world. To do this, they examined landmarks with 1,000 to 50,000 user reviews and calculated the percentage of positive feedback.
The research found that the Budapest Pinball Museum, located in the Hungarian capital, ranked as the seventh-best lesser-known landmark in the world. Overall, the landmark received a total of 1,442 user reviews on TripAdvisor including 97.7% that were either “Excellent” or “Very Good”.
The Budapest Pinball Museum also ranked 16th among Budapest’s top 30 ‘Things To Do’ on the review platform and had a user rating of 5/5 – an extremely popular landmark among visitors.
The museum’s address is 18 Radnóti Miklós Street. It is in Budapest’s 13th district, close to the Nyugati railway station and the Hungarian Parliament. We wrote about the museum HERE, while in THISarticle, we collected the TOP 5 most unique attractions in Budapest that are unrivalled in Europe.
Wizz Air’s CEO, József Váradi, has announced the addition of 35 new aircraft for Poland, while Ryanair’s Chief, Michael O’Leary, is set to operate 180 new Central and Eastern European aircrafts over the next eight years.
The battle for Europe continues
Irish carrier Ryanair and Hungary-based Wizz Air find themselves entangled in a six-way battle for European passengers. CEO Michael O’Leary told Reuters that they currently operate from more than a dozen Polish airports.
“When we go up against Wizz Air, we generally have significantly lower fares and much lower costs” stated O’Leary regarding the ongoing price war. O’Leary further revealed plans for the airline to operate a total of 400 new aircraft over the next eight years, with 180 of them serving Central and Eastern Europe.
Wizz Air strikes back
Jószef Váradi, the CEO of Wizz Air, has declared that they are prepared to challenge the Irish airline. Wizz Air is set to introduce 35 new aircraft in Poland. “We are envisioning double-digit annual growth within the region for the next seven to eight years,” Váradi stressed.
According to data from the analytical firm IBA, low-cost carriers now hold over 59% of the Polish air transport market, a significant increase from 31% just two years ago. Ryanair’s focus primarily lies on regional airports, while Wizz Air predominantly operates from Warsaw.
The Polish and Eastern European markets hold particular importance as there is less regulation concerning domestic travel compared to the heightened focus on raising ticket prices and protecting bus and rail operators in Italy and France.
Aircraft expansion is the key
Both Ryanair and Wizz Air regard the acquisition of new aircraft as the cornerstone of their expansion, as reported by economx.hu. “Currently, we have 64 aircraft in the region. We anticipate doubling the fleet in the next decade. If we presently accommodate around 30 million passengers in the region, we project to reach 60 million,” stated Ryanair’s Poland Head.
József Váradi asserted that the conflict in Ukraine, bordering Poland, has not deterred the desire for travel.
“In the end, as long as economies thrive, GDP increases, consumers will enjoy greater disposable income and airlines will continue to prosper. That is what we are witnessing and expect to persist,” explained Váradi.
Hungarian low-cost airline Wizz Air is introducing a new service which many passengers will be happy about. The target group is people who not only check in luggage but also worry about it. This new option will definitely make our flights much calmer.
At a cost of just EUR 2.5, if your baggage is away from you for more than 96 hours, you will automatically receive EUR 300. The additional service is offered by the booking system when you choose to purchase check-in luggage, Utazómajom reports.
The existing rules for receiving your baggage late will remain in place.
This new service is quite comfortable as there is no administration needed: if you don’t have your checked-in luggage for more than 96 hours, you get the money.
Of course, it’s extremely rare for baggages to be delayed by 4 days, but this service offers some comfort even if you’re flying on a longer trip.
