Wizz Air: Virus,
what virus? — May 2020

In the pool of despond that is European aviation Wizz Air projects a bright ray of optimism. Is it justified?

Wizz Air has been impacted just as much as other airlines. In May it operated just 7% of the 2019 equivalent capacity. It has furloughed about 1,000 employees, 19% of the total, and cut salaries by an average of 14%. Yet CEO József Váradi is convinced that once lockdowns are eased and restrictions on air travel removed, demand for Wizz seats will rebound. His plan is for Wizz to operate at 80% of the previous year’s capacity in the second quarter of FY 2021 (July-September) and to get close to 100% by the end of the year.