Controversies at Wizz Air: Flight cancellations followed by bonus announcement for CEO

Wizz Air cancelled a scheduled flight from Podgorica to Budapest after hours of delays, leaving passengers stranded overnight at the Montenegrin airport. However, despite the recent cancellations and delays, the airline sparked further controversy by announcing a new bonus package for its CEO, József Váradi.

After hours of waiting, Wizz Air cancelled its scheduled flight from Podgorica, Montenegro, to Budapest, Hungary, leaving several passengers stranded at the Montenegrin airport, HVG reports. The flight was originally set to depart at 12:50 PM on Tuesday but was officially cancelled around midnight. Many passengers spent the night on plastic chairs at the airport. One passenger reported that throughout the day, they were reassured that the flight would eventually take off.

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After five hours of waiting, they watched a flight to Gdansk depart from Podgorica. At that point, passengers received vouchers worth HUF 4,600 (about EUR 12), followed later by another HUF 6,000 voucher (about EUR 16). Despite reopening the gate at 9 PM, the airline provided no clear information about the cause of the delay.

Wizz Air offers direct flights from Podgorica to Budapest twice a week, on Saturdays and Tuesdays. Initially, stranded passengers were told they could fly home on Saturday, but that flight was already fully booked. The next available flight wasn’t until the following Tuesday. Eventually, Wizz Air advised passengers to make their own way home, resulting in significant additional costs.

In response to the situation, Wizz Air told HVG that the flight had to be cancelled due to adverse weather conditions, which prevented the safe operation. The flight from Budapest had attempted to land at Podgorica but was diverted to Tirana due to the weather. Despite repeated efforts, the weather remained unsuitable for landing in Podgorica, forcing the plane to return to Budapest as the crew’s working hours were ending.

Bonus for the difficult times for Wizz Air’s CEO

Photo: Wizz Air

In other news, Wizz Air announced a new bonus package for CEO József Váradi, despite recent cancellations and delays, HVG reports. According to Bloomberg, the airline plans to award Váradi a one-time share bonus of around GBP 700,000, three times his annual salary, set for payment on 1 October. Additionally, a long-term incentive package from 2026 could be worth five times his salary.

Last year, shareholders approved a two-year extension to Váradi’s bonus plan, which includes a potential GBP 100 million reward if he increases Wizz Air’s stock value to GBP 120 by 2021. Current bonuses would contribute to this target, however, the goal remains challenging, as Wizz Air’s stock price currently hovers around GBP 13.5, having dropped from GBP 22 since the onset of the Russia-Ukraine war and the summer airport chaos.

The company argues that this new compensation package is necessary to retain Váradi, who reportedly earns less than most airline executives. The bonus is intended to motivate him to guide Wizz Air through “difficult times” and improve the company’s performance.

Read also:

• Will Wizz Air launch American flights? Here is what CEO Váradi said about plans – Read here
• Wizz Air eyes expansion into India and Pakistan, with ambitious growth plans – Read here

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