A top budget airline has cut the number of flights to a major UK airport in an attempt to slash costs.
The chief executive of Wizz Air, the Budapest-based low cost carrier, said that it was losing money on flights going from Gatwick Airport.
This was due to high operating fees and badly timed departure slots, said József Váradi.
Instead, he said, Wizz would be moving more of its flights to Luton, where there are lower business costs, according to the Telegraph.
He said: ‘Gatwick is expensive and we have been operating an inferior set of slots there. We think that we can enhance financial performance by operating that capacity from Luton’.
Váradi added: ‘Circumstances change and you have to take action. Whichever bases give you the most profitability, you should be biased toward them. That includes moving aircraft over from Gatwick to Luton’.
He said that Wizz would begin by moving a single aircraft to Luton, meaning 13 will operate from the north of London airport, while the Gatwick fleet would be reduced to seven.
With Gatwick operating at near-full capacity for a number of years, increased demand to travel from the airport has led to higher fees for airlines.
The chief executive of Wizz Air, the Budapest-based low cost carrier, said that it was losing money on flights going from Gatwick Airport (File image of Gatwick Airport)
Wizz AIr CEO József Váradi (pictured) said more flights would be operated from Luton instead
Though a new £2.2billion runway is being worked on, made from an emergency landing strip, and will double passenger capacity, this won’t be fully operational until the 2030s.
Despite this, Váradi said the airline had no plans to outright abandon Gatwick, instead saying: ‘You have to churn your network for profit. We are simply more efficient financially in Luton’.
Last month, Wizz said it would soon be offering ‘business class’-style tickets for passengers, selling premium features for an additional fee.
‘Wizz Class’ perks include the ability to block off the middle seat for more elbow space and leg room, priority boarding, a carry-on bag and space in the overhead bins.
The trial will be carried out in December on routes from London, Rome, Warsaw, Bucharest and Budapest, airline executive Michael Delehant said.
‘In terms of fares, it’s never going to be more than buying the cost of another seat,’ he said at a press conference. ‘It’s not meant to be a money-grab.’
The ticket does not include any additional in-flight perks, such as exclusive or complimentary food and drink.
Silvia Mosquera, the commercial officer at Wizz Air, said they have launched this trial in response to the ‘demand of Wizz travellers seeking more space, comfort and a quicker exit from the aircraft.’
‘The roll-out of Wizz Class follows feedback from our growing number of business travellers who value low-cost travel options and prefer additional space during the flight,’ she said.
She added that more benefits would be announced when the product is launched.
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