Last checked at 3 May 2018 07:00
WIZZ AIR UK RECEIVES AIR OPERATOR'S CERTIFICATE
AND OPERATING LICENCE
WIZZ AIR FIRST FLIGHT ON 3 MAY 2018
London, 03 May 2018: Wizz Air UK Limited ("Wizz Air UK"), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Wizz Air Holdings Plc ("Wizz Air"), one of Europe's fastest growing airline groups, is pleased to announce that it has been granted an Air Operator's Certificate (AOC) and Operating Licence (OL) by the United Kingdom's Civil Aviation Authority.
Wizz Air UK, headquartered at London Luton airport, begins operations on 3rd May, with the first flight between London Luton and Bucharest. Wizz Air UK will have eight brand new Airbus A320 and Airbus A321 aircraft in service by the end of 2018, representing an investment of USD 860 million** and creating 300 new direct jobs with Wizz Air UK for management, pilots and cabin crew.
With the addition of Wizz Air UK, the group will have almost 9 million seats on sale on its low fare routes to and from the UK in 2018, some 14% growth year on year.
Wizz Air is now the eight largest airline group operating in the UK, with flights to 74 destinations in 23 countries from 9 UK airports, including eight new routes for 2018 from London Luton to Larnaca, Tirana, Tallinn, Bratislava, Lviv, Athens, Keflavik and Bari. Great value fares start from as little as £13.99* and can be booked online at wizzair.com.
József Váradi, Chief Executive Officer at Wizz Air, said: "Today marks the start of a new era in air travel in the United Kingdom, as we celebrate Wizz Air UK's first flight following the approval of its UK operating licence. While Wizz Air UK is a key part of our Brexit contingency plan, it is also the first genuine ultra-low cost carrier licensed in the UK and the natural next-step in the development of our UK business, putting us in a strong position to take advantage of opportunities that may arise in what remains Europe's largest travel market. Wizz Air has been committed to the UK ever since our very first flight landed at London Luton in 2004 and our continued expansion will mean additional investment and jobs in the UK as we build our current position as the 8th largest airline operating in the UK. Everyone in the WIZZ team is delighted to see operations begin under the Wizz Air UK flag, as we bring ever more low fare opportunities to our UK customers to explore our network of exciting destinations."
-ENDS-
About Wizz Air
Wizz Air is the largest low-cost airline in Central and Eastern Europe, operates a fleet of 96 Airbus A320 and Airbus A321 aircraft, and offers more than 600 routes from 28 bases, connecting 141 destinations across 44 countries. At Wizz Air, a team of more than 4,000 aviation professionals delivers superior service and very low ticket prices making Wizz Air the preferred choice of 29.6 million passengers in the financial year ended 31 March 2018. Wizz Air is listed on the London Stock Exchange under the ticker WIZZ and is included in the FTSE 250 and FTSE All-Share Indices. Wizz Air is registered under the International Air Transport Association (IATA), Operational Safety Audit (IOSA), the global benchmark in airline safety recognition. The company was recently named 2017 - European Airline of the Year by Aviation 100, a renown annual publication that recognizes the year's most outstanding performers in the aerospace industry. www.wizzair.com
For more information:
Laura Vaughan; FTI Consulting; laura.vaughan@fticonsulting.com; +44 (0)20 3727 1509
Follow us on Twitter @wizzair
*One way including all taxes and non-optional charges
**http://www.airbus.com/newsroom/press-releases/en/2018/01/airbus-2018-price-list-press-release.html#media-list-document-document-all_ml_0