(Adds detail, background)
LONDON, April 23 (Reuters) - Wizz Air is expecting
to fly 60% to 80% of its previous capacity this summer, its
chief executive said on Friday, as the Hungarian low-cost
airline prepares for European travel to re-open but with many
restrictions still in place.
Chief executive Jozsef Varadi said the uncoordinated
approach of different European governments and changing
restrictions left him feeling cautious ahead of the critical
summer travel season.
"I'm pretty sure summer is going to be better than where we
are today," Varadi told a virtual aviation conference on Friday.
"My view is not demand-driven from the consumer or not
supply-driven from the airline, it is the unpredictability of
the government actions, and government imposed restrictions."
The 60% to 80% capacity plans at Wizz, whose main markets
are Hungary, Poland, Romania and Britain, match those of bigger
competitor Ryanair, which said in March it would fly 80%
of its normal schedule in July, August and September.
Varadi also said Wizz could ramp capacity up to 100% if
conditions allowed.
EasyJet has not given guidance for capacity in July
and August. It is aiming for 20% capacity in its April to
end-June quarter which includes a forecast for a significant
ramp up in June.
European airlines are desperate for travel markets to
re-open after a year of lockdowns but slow progress with the
continent's vaccination programme and worries about the efficacy
of the shot against some variants of COVID-19 have put the
summer season in jeopardy.
For consumers who do manage to travel despite restrictions,
there will be an added incentive, he said. "It's going be very
cheap to travel this summer," Varadi forecast.
He said he expected fares to be between 20-25% lower
compared to the pre-pandemic period, helped by airline
overcapacity.
(Reporting by Sarah Young and Laurence Frost; Editing by Kate
Holton)