Wizz Air
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| Wizz Air | ||
|---|---|---|
| Image:Wizz logo.gif | ||
| IATA W6 | ICAO WZZ | Callsign WIZZAIR |
| Founded | 2003 | |
| Hubs | Katowice International Airport | |
| Focus cities | Poznań-Ławica Airport Budapest Ferihegy International Airport Warsaw Frederic Chopin Airport Bucharest Aurel Vlaicu International Airport Sofia Airport Gdańsk Lech Wałęsa Airport Cluj-Napoca International Airport | |
| Alliance | European Low Fares Airline Association | |
| Fleet size | 13(+82) | |
| Destinations | 32 | |
| Headquarters | Vecsés, Hungary | |
| Key people | József Váradi | |
| Website: http://www.wizzair.com | ||
Wizz Air is a Hungarian low-cost airline focusing on the markets of Central Europe. Its main base is Katowice International Airport (Poland). It also has bases at Budapest Ferihegy International Airport (Hungary) , Warsaw Frederic Chopin Airport (Poland), Gdańsk Lech Wałęsa Airport (Poland). Poznań-Ławica Airport (Poland), Aurel Vlaicu International Airport (Bucharest, Romania) and Sofia Airport (Bulgaria).
In November 2007 Cluj-Napoca International Airport, Romania, was announced as a base, operating one Airbus A320 from May 2008.
Contents |
[edit] History
The airline was established in September 2003. The lead investor is Indigo Partners, an American private equity firm specializing in transportation investments. The first flight was made on 19 May 2004 from Katowice*[1], 19 days after Poland and Hungary entered the European Union and the single European aviation market. The airline carried 250,000 passengers in its first three and a half months, almost 1.4 million passengers in the first year of operations and to date, 5 million passengers.
The airline's CEO and chairman is József Váradi, former CEO of Malév Hungarian Airlines. The company is registered in London with operating subsidiaries in Poland, Hungary and Bulgaria. Wizz Air Bulgaria was established in September 2005 [1].
Wizzair has been voted the best low-fare airline in Poland by the readers of pasazer.com, the largest travel news portal in Poland.
József Váradi, Chief Executive Officer of Wizz Air, won the Ernst & Young award of the 'Brave Innovator' in 2007. The prize recognized the break through in the airline business in Hungary and the region, the business model and the business conduct of Wizz Air.
[edit] Services/Destinations
- Further information: Wizz Air destinations
WizzAir will start new services between Katowice and London Gatwick. Winter destinations from Warsaw are Milan Bergamo and Grenoble. In January flights start from Gdansk to Goteborg, Bournemouth and Coventry.
In summer 2008 WizzAir will restart the summer only services from Katowice and Budapest to Barcelona (GRO), as well as a new weekly service to Girona from Gdańsk. Oher summer services from Budapest are Crete-Heraklion, Corfu, Bourgas and Varna, from Katowice -> Crete-Heraklion and Bourgas, Warsaw to Corfu and Bourgas. They will also restart the three-times weekly service from London Luton to Bourgas.
[edit] Fleet
As of August 2006, the Wizz Air fleet includes [2] :
- 13[3] Airbus A320-200 (plus 82 on order)
Twelve aircraft operate under Wizz Air Hungary and one for Wizz Air Bulgaria. It has committed to one further Airbus A320 lease and has firm orders for 32 Airbus A320s. [4] The airline intends to operate 25-30 aircraft in 3-5 years. The fleet is easily recognisable in airports due to its white, pink and purple colors. All its A320s are powered by International Aero Engines V2500 engines, even those to be leased from GECAS. The 99.5% technical dispatch reliability, which is well above the world average, is ensured by the Lufthansa Technik maintenance organization. [5]
On 10 October 2007, Wizz Air confirmed an order for a further 50 Airbus A320 aircraft bringing its total commitments of that type up to 82.[6]
[edit] Wizz Air Bulgaria
The Bulgarian division of Wizz Air has been awarded licences to begin new services to Greece, Turkey and Moldova. At the moment Wizz Air Bulgaria operates flights from Sofia to London, Rome and Dortmund, and seasonal services from the United Kingdom to Bourgas.
From 12 July 2008 Wizz Air will offer new destinations from Sofia to Varna, Barcelona, Valencia, Milan, Izmir and will expand the number of flights to London, Rome and Dortmund by placing another Airbus 320 to comply with the new routes.
[edit] Pricing
Wizz Air is a low-cost airline, passengers pay the fare plus taxes and charges which can include a fuel surcharge, insurance and facility charge, air duty charge, passenger service charge, and security tax. These additional taxes and charges can equate to as much as 55 euros one-way. There is an additional 3 euro charge per flight per passenger for ordering via the web using a credit card and a 5 euro charge per booking for ordering over the phone.
[edit] External links
[edit] References
- ^ Airliner World January 2007
- ^ Flight International, 3-9 October 2006
- ^ http://book.wizzair.com/about_us/fleet/
- ^ Airbus orders
- ^ Wizz Air Sale and Lease Back with GECAS
- ^ "Wizz Air orders 50 more Airbus A320s" Fligt Global, 10/10/2007
Airlines of Hungary | |
|---|---|
Aviaexpress · Farnair Hungary · Malév · SkyEurope · Travel Service · Wizz Air | Image:Flag of Hungary.svg |
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