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Wizz Air, Hungary’s leading low-cost airline, is expected to carry 5.6 million passengers by the end of 2023, with a significant increase in its workforce, after weathering the downturn caused by the COVID epidemic and other difficulties, writes Világgazdaság.
This is the first year that has not been overshadowed by the pandemic, with a very impressive increase in demand: the domestic market leader Wizz Air’s load factor has risen to 94-95%, in line with a few years before COVID.
Analyzing the recent past, 2022 has been rated as extremely difficult, as Wizz Air was not fully prepared for the sudden rebound in demand, but 2023 paints a much brighter picture. For example, they point to a 60% reduction in cancellations, mostly due to external causes such as:
Supply chain problems, such as the slow arrival of aircraft parts, making maintenance work take much longer, and strikes were also cited as factors making this summer difficult. As an extreme example, London Gatwick airport asked airlines for specific cancellations, because even though they had ordered everything, there were not enough air traffic controllers to meet the demand.
At the same time, statistics show that 90 percent of cases are resolved within five days instead of the 30 days required by law.
Photo: Facebook/Wizz Air
This May, the company celebrated its 20th anniversary. The historical overview shows that the once 1,000-strong workforce has since grown to 8,000. 3,000 new staff are being recruited this year alone, although there is a turnover effect, the scale of which is not disclosed.
Wizz Air has also boasted that it now has a fleet of around 200 aircraft, compared with 15 at the beginning, and is adding between 30 and 40 new aircraft every year. Overall, the average age of the machines is 4.2 years, also lower than the market average.
Turning to travel habits and trends, it was noted that bookings have typically moved from 80 to 100 days before travel, attributing to the fact that passengers no longer fear unexpected events and/or official health restrictions.
The most popular destinations for traveling with children are Italy, Spain, Germany, and Turkey. Hungarian customers are the top priority ticket buyers, with most choosing the 20 kg luggage allowance.
Destination and schedule announcements have already been affected by climate change, with Alghero, Antalya, Burgas, Iraqlion, Corfu, Mallorca, Rhodes, and Zakynthos now open until the end of October, instead of the previous mid-September closure, following the extended warm and sunny season.
One of the most popular summer holiday destinations, the Greek island of Rhodes. Photo via Pixabay
The so-called VFR (visiting friends and relatives), a few days away, is already strong, and the company has also noticed in Eastern Europe that a middle class with more money and leisure time has emerged, who likes the newly added holiday destinations.
For instance, from October, Glasgow will replace Edinburgh as the destination in Scotland, and flights to Copenhagen, Cairo, and Sharm el-Sheikh will be available from Budapest from now on. Furthermore, from December, Rome will be added as a destination from Debrecen (eastern Hungary).
Via Világgazdaság, Featured image via Facebook/Wizz Air