Economy 9 July 2024, 9:00am

Wizz Air expects Airbus target cuts to cause delivery delays

Portfolio

Wizz Air is expecting further delays in the delivery of Airbus aircraft, but the Chief Executive of the low-cost airline is optimistic about the capacity increase. In an interview with Reuters, József Váradi said that although Airbus delivery disruptions will continue, they will not significantly affect Wizz Air's plans.

Wizz Air, which flies an all-Airbus fleet, has already faced challenges related to Pratt and Whitney RTX engines, with 45 of its planes set to be grounded this summer over inspections and 35 next summer, placing constraints on its capacity.

Moreover, European plane manufacturer Airbus cut its targets last month as it faces ongoing supply disruptions.

We are making assumptions that Airbus will have delivery delays, but they already have six-month delivery delays,

Wizz Air CEO József Váradi he told Reuters in an interview in London.

"The real impact [...] will be fairly limited," he added in remarks agreed for publication on Tuesday.

He said the airline is still expecting continuous deliveries of about three aircraft a month, with 20% growth in capacity next year and 20-25% the following year.

The aviation sector has struggled with delays from plane manufacturers Boeing and Airbus in the years since the COVID-19 pandemic, with Boeing's constraints more pronounced given ongoing concerns over safety at the U.S. aircraft maker.

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