Wizz Air boss says young people are keen to fly again

The airline is seeing an increase in bookings.

 

Wizz Air boss and founder József Váradi has claimed things are looking brighter for the airline as young people are keen to fly again.

 

Despite planes flying half full due to no-shows, Váradi claims the airline is selling approximately 75% of its seats at the moment.

 

“We are the lowest-cost producer in the industry, therefore we are the most resilient. This crisis will present us with opportunities. At the beginning of May, we will have only 10 percent of the fleet operating and we expect to ramp up to 30 percent by the end of next month,” Váradi said.

 

The Hungarian suggests that some people are now flying to visit relatives, to stay their second homes or because “they just want to break out of the current lockdown.”

 

“One of the trends we are sensing is young people want to be back in the air quite quickly,” he said.

 

The airline, which has made it mandatory for passengers to wear a face mask, was the first European airline to commence flights again last Friday.

 

The Wizz Air UK subsidiary based at London Luton Airport received a £300 million relief payment from the British government.

 

The airline says it can now survive for up to 18 months without any revenue and is already planning to take delivery of 20 new aircraft in the next two years.

 

The carrier is also planning to launch a UAE subsidiary based in Abu Dhabi, which was initially scheduled to commence operations by the end of 2020.

 

Although plans for the launch may be delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, they have not been cancelled.