Wizz Air is set to cut the number of flights it operates from Gatwick Airport, with the budget airline’s chief executive saying it is losing money at the UK’s second busiest airport
Budget carrier Wizz Air is poised to slash the number of services it runs from Gatwick Airport. József Váradi, chief executive of the Hungarian airline, revealed his company is losing cash at Britain’s second-busiest airport.
The carrier plans to pivot towards running more services from Luton Airport, citing reduced overheads. To start with, Wizz Air will relocate just one aircraft from Gatwick to Luton, according to Mr Váradi.
This marks the beginning of an “ongoing process” to gradually redistribute the fleet, reports the Mirror. The move comes on the heels of shutting down an Abu Dhabi-based subsidiary of Wizz Air, confirmed in July, alongside axing its Vienna hub due to “airport costs and taxes”.
Speaking to The Telegraph, Mr Váradi explained: “Gatwick is expensive and we have been operating an inferior set of slots there. We think that we can enhance financial performance by operating that capacity from Luton.
“Circumstances change and you have to take action. Whichever bases give you the most profitability, you should be biased toward them. That includes moving aircraft over from Gatwick to Luton.”
The airline boss clarified that Wizz Air has no intention of abandoning Gatwick completely, but rather seeks to “optimise” its presence there.
He emphasised: “You have to churn your network for profit. We are simply more efficient financially in Luton.”
The announcement follows Wizz Air’s introduction of ‘Wizz Class’, a new service enabling passengers to pay a premium for seats in rows with an empty middle seat – providing additional space for travellers. Additional benefits encompass priority boarding, an allowance for carry-on luggage and assured space in overhead compartments.
The airline described Wizz Class as a service “designed to meet the demand of travellers seeking more space, comfort and a quicker exit from the aircraft”.
Silvia Mosquera, the Commercial Officer, stated: “The roll-out of Wizz Class follows feedback from our growing number of business travellers who value low-cost travel options and prefer additional space during the flight.”
This new seating arrangement will be available on selected flights departing from London, Rome, Warsaw, Bucharest and Budapest starting this December.
The news comes two days after Blue Islands, the Channel Islands-based carrier, suspended operations and cancelled all flights. The airline, which had approximately 100 employees, had been providing services to various destinations throughout the British Isles and further afield for twenty years.
This representsedthe second regional carrier to fold in under three weeks, following Eastern Airways’ collapse on 28 October. The Jersey-headquartered operator confirmed on Friday that it had stopped trading and axed all reservations.
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