Wizz Air Prepares For Stabilized Summer Operations

HAMBURG—European ULCC Wizz Air says it is well prepared to meet challenging European summer 2025 operations.

Wizz Air says it has enough crew and aircraft available for summer 2025 operations, especially since the ULCC expects to take 50 aircraft for delivery during its current fiscal year.

To stabilize its operations, Wizz Air plans to decrease daily utilization of its aircraft to 12.5 hr. per day instead of 14 hr. per day. “Also, Wizz Air will have more departures before 6:00 a.m., like from Budapest, to bring out the first wave of flights on time,” a Wizz Air spokesperson told Aviation Week on the sidelines of the airline’s May 20 delivery ceremony for its first Airbus A321XLR in Hamburg. The aircraft was the first of 47 A321XLRs in Wizz Air’s orderbook.

“Also, we don’t do W-flights anymore,” the spokesperson said, referring to an aircraft that would operate, for example, from Budapest to Dortmund, Germany, with a follow-on flight to Skopje, Macedonia, then back to Dortmund and returning to Budapest. Those flights have always been very affected by cancellations, he said. “Instead, we only do point-to-point flights,” the spokesperson added.

Among other preparations, Wizz Air said it will have selected standby crews already waiting at its main airports—avoiding the journey time from their homes—enabling them to take over a flight as fast as possible if necessary.

Additionally, Wizz Air has been using artificial intelligence (AI) for its operations control center as well as implementing an internal task force and enhanced communications. However, Wizz Air’s 30 min. aircraft turnaround times at airports remain unchanged.

“We are prepared for the summer 2025, but challenges remain,” Wizz Air Group Chief Corporate Officer Owain Jones told Aviation Week. “For example, air traffic control centers in Spain, Italy or France. We never know what [which crises] is around the corner.”

Speaking about a planned joint venture airline in Saudi Arabia, Jones said, “we are looking at it. It is on the table. For us, it is probably the best served international market these two years we’ve already been in it.” Operating the A321XLR from European bases to Saudi Arabia is part of Wizz Air’s strategy for the kingdom.

Wizz Air’s subsidiary Wizz Air Abu Dhabi has 12 aircraft based at Zayed International Airport in the UAE capital.

Wizz Air said every XLR service on a longer sector should be operated daily as crews can then stay overnight at the destination, bringing hotel costs under control. “We also see increasing interest from airports asking us if we could operate A321XLRs from their airports,” Jones said. Asked why Wizz Air is not evaluate a premium class onboard its A321XLRs, Jones replied, “We are an ULCC. The A321XLR delivers the best economics. For us, business class is a waste of space.”

As of May 20, the airline’s 21st birthday, Wizz Air has 232 Airbus aircraft in operation; all of which are on lease. The airline has been an Airbus customer since 2005. In the 21 years since its establishment, 470 million passengers have flown with Wizz Air. The ULCC has 9,000 employees operating from 32 bases in 16 countries.