Wizz Air CEO: 80 planes will be grounded for engine problems, more delays expected

The Wizz Air fleet contains only Airbus planes, and the problems with their Pratt and Whitney engines caused many headaches for the airline in the last few months. CEO József Váradi touched on multiple issues in an interview with Reuters but remained confident about the company’s prospects.

Wizz Air head calculates with significant capacity increase

According to Reuters, Wizz Air expects 45 planes to remain grounded this summer because of inspections following the errors discovered in the Pratt and Whitney engines Airbus aircraft operate with. Next summer, there will be 35 planes on the ground.

However, there is good news, too. Várad said they would receive three more planes each month from Airbus. That will result in a significant growth expansion in 2025 and 2026. Next year, they will have a 20% rise in capacity, while the following year will see an additional 20-25% capacity hike.

However, their supplier, Airbus, also struggles with delivery delays. Nevertheless, Váradi remained optimistic about the future and said delays would not have a “substantial negative impact” on their capacity. Airbus cut its delivery targets last month after acknowledging supply disruptions.

Wizz Air CEO József Váradi. Photo: FB/Budflyer

Plane makers struggle with difficulties

“We are making assumptions that Airbus will have delivery delays, but they already have six-month delivery delays,” he told Reuters in an interview in London. “The real impact (…) will be fairly limited,” he added.

Boeing and Airbus have been struggling with keeping deadlines concerning their new planes after the COVID-19 pandemic. After losing a door in the air, there are concerns about the quality of the Boeing aircraft. As a result, Wizz Air’s biggest competitor, the Ireland-based Ryanair, had to cut some routes this summer.

“For everyone, the regulatory environment is going to be more difficult with more scrutiny, which will slow down the process,” Váradi said.

Reuters said that after the engine problems, it is still unclear whether Wizz Air would opt for RTX engines or CFM. Váradi said they would decide in the next year or so.

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