Wizz Air CEO shares crucial information about summer and long-term plans
In an exclusive interview, Wizz Air CEO József Váradi spoke about summer trends, potential challenges, ticket prices and the vociferous criticism of rival Ryanair. Read on to find answers to all your puzzling questions, like whether Wizz Air will offer Wi-Fi onboard in the future? And why is checked baggage more expensive in Budapest?
2023 summer trends
In 2022, a number of disruptions indicated that the large influx in traffic following the coronavirus epidemic caused difficulties for the airport industry. According to József Váradi, CEO of Wizz Air, these issues still persist. For instance, there are imposed restrictions on airspace and ground handling due to the war between Russia and Ukraine.
Moreover, labour shortages remain a problem, but airlines are better prepared than last year, according to Váradi. The Wizz Air CEO revealed in the exclusive interview with index.hu that the Hungarian airline expects higher profits this year, as the company has increased capacity by 60 percent in four years, making it the fastest growing airline on the continent. Last year it had 52 million passengers, while this year it expects 65 million.
How about the extra profit tax?
“This is the government’s decision, not ours. The extra profit tax has changed a lot, it has become more of an environmental tax, so it favours those air transport implementations that are more environmentally friendly. Wizz Air is leading the way in this regard, we fly the most efficient fleet not only economically but also environmentally,” Váradi said.
Rival Ryanair is a vocal critic of the Hungarian government’s extra profit tax. “We, on the other hand, represent a more intellectually consolidated platform. And we intend to keep it that way, supporting a meaningful dialogue with decision-makers. We see ourselves as the airline of Hungarians in Hungary,” Váradi said.
Airline trends, complaint handling
Among Hungarian passengers, of course, coastal destinations are the most sought-after, but wallet-friendly countries are also becoming increasingly popular. Wizz Air has more than 1,000 routes in 60 countries.
On average, a Wizz Air ticket costs EUR 70-80. Despite high demand, Wizz Air cannot be flexible enough in the short term due to finite capacity and cumbersome processes. Váradi admitted that last year there were difficulties in handling complaints, but that a lot has been done to address this in 2023. Amongst other things, they have automated the chargeback process and provide non-stop online support for customers.
More expensive Budapest baggage, free Wi-Fi?
Checked baggage from Budapest is often more expensive than from, say, Vienna or Prague. This is due to dynamic pricing, according to the CEO.
Váradi also touched on the possibility of offering Wi-Fi onboard, which has been an unresolved issue on Wizz Air flights for 10-15 years. The problem is that it requires extra technology, which would lead to more fuel consumption, more pollution and more expensive tickets, which is in nobody’s interest. Váradi said they were waiting for more efficient technology in this regard.