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Wizz Air is planning to add India to its route map, József Váradi, CEO of the Hungarian multinational low-cost carrier, told Aviation Week. This is conditional on the arrival in the fleet of Airbus A321XLR aircraft, which are large enough to cover long distances.
Once the new planes are in the fleet, probably in 2024, Wizz Air plans to connect the Indian subcontinent non-stop with flights to the European Union. The Airbus A321XLR aircraft are capable of flying nearly 9,000 kilometers, of which 47 have been ordered. A London-Delhi non-stop flight has also been mooted in connection with the innovation.
József Váradi also spoke to Aviation Week about the details of the Indian expansion. He said that Wizz Air would operate flights to India via its Gulf subsidiary Wizz Air Abu Dhabi in view of the strong demand between the United Arab Emirates and India. The subsidiary’s current fleet of 8 aircraft will double in the next one year.
Abu Dhabi would thus become Wizz Air’s European connecting point. According to József Váradi,
in the longer term, the airline is interested in connecting India directly to the European network, and Wizz Air is the most suitable operator for this destination among European airlines.
He also indicated that the acquisition of licences for Pakistan is underway, meaning that soon Wizz Air could offer flights to that country as well.
In addition to the possibility of expansion in India, Wizz Air’s position in Europe should not be neglected either. The CEO said that while the airline industry will reach around 95 percent of its pre-Covid capacity this summer, Wizz Air could reach 160 percent. “That means we are 60% bigger than before COVID. We are seeing a lot of demand for our product and services, but probably the industry doesn’t really see the same degree of demand”, he quipped to competitors. He also pointed out that they are currently operating with a load factor of between 90 and 96 percent.
However, there can be a hitch in the impeccable numbers and operation, and that is the summer period and the delays that many dread. Last summer, there were several instances of canceled or delayed flights, mainly due to staff shortages.
According to József Váradi, the peak summer season will not be a smooth one, partly because of the war in Ukraine, which has a negative impact on air traffic management. But Wizz Air is preparing for the summer period, doubling the number of staff in operations planning, maintenance and logistics, and has also rearranged staff schedules to avoid the long delays of last summer. In addition, the number of standby staff will be increased and this year there will be five spare aircraft, compared to three last year.
At the same time, Wizz Air’s fleet will increase from 180 to 200 aircraft this year, with the cost of more reliable operations estimated by the manager at €100 million.
Featured photo via Pixabay
