Wizz Air: Delays are not the airline’s fault
According to Wizz Air, their flights from Hungary have seen a 25% reduction in delays this year and 72% fewer cancellations in two years. The budget airline is constantly introducing new destinations and more frequent flights to several European countries. However, delays cannot be eliminated and the airline has little to do with them – according to Wizz Air.
Wizz Air’s success story?
As Világgazdaság writes, the low-cost airline has a two-decade record of taking 420 million passengers to their destinations. Over 50 million people have flown with Wizz Air from Budapest in the last 20 years. The Hungarian airline is launching six new flights from the capital this summer. Wizz Air’s Head of Communications, András Radó, says that new flights will depart next week to Brasov and Bucharest. In addition, direct flights to Brussels, Yerevan, Stuttgart and Valencia will also be launched this year.
The low-cost airline is constantly looking to open up new routes to include areas that are still unimaginable today. 47 new XLR aircraft that will arrive next spring will have a range of more than 8,700 kilometres. While no decision has been made regarding the destinations for new long-haul flights, potential routes include London to Abu Dhabi and Singapore, as well as Budapest to Mumbai. However, it is confirmed that Wizz Air still has no plans to fly to America.
The most popular destinations
The most popular summer destinations include Greece, Turkey, Malta, Portugal, Egypt and Iceland. However, the Budapest–Eindhoven and Budapest–Lisbon routes accommodate the most passengers throughout the year. Last year, bookings were made 100 days before the trip on average. As it seems, people are planning a bit more ahead, as this number grew to 108 this year. Passengers typically travel with 20 kg checked baggage.
Due to rising demand, capacity has been expanded to Spain, Italy, and France. In preparation for the Paris Olympics, the number of flights between Budapest and Paris will be increased from 16 June to 30 September, featuring daily flights to Paris Orly Airport.
The delays carry on
Air traffic controllers face shortages due to retirements, redundancies, and lengthy training periods. András Radó emphasised the need for a unified European air traffic control system, as the current national systems complicate operations. Frequent strikes by air traffic controllers in Italy, France, Germany, and Spain disrupt traffic significantly. Therefore, the delays will carry on, but the problem is outside the scope of the budget airline’s powers.
Wizz Air’s head of communication assured that passengers are notified of delays, and the company’s information process is comparable to other airlines. The spokesperson did not comment on the Hungarian authorities’ investigation into delays.
Read also: