Wizz Air sets sights on 20-jet Gatwick base as rivals retreat

Wizz Air Holdings wants to expand its new base at London’s Gatwick airport from just one plane to 20 within a year if it can secure enough takeoff and landing slots. While the hub will open with a lone Airbus SE A321 jet in October, Budapest-based Wizz sees scope to quickly expand it to employ 800 people, an operation that would support a further 4,000 jobs, Chief Executive Officer Jozsef Varadi said. Wizz is seeking to leverage the European airline industry’s lowest cost base to grab market share in London as the coronavirus crisis pushes other carriers to trim their fleets. Varadi said the plan is being frustrated by the suspension during the pandemic of rules that usually force incumbents to relinquish slots the following year if they fail to use 80% of them. “If airlines are unable to operate slots they should be returned to a pool so that carriers can access them, bring in revenue and contribute to the local economy,” Varadi said. Wizz is lobbying authorities including regulators in both the UK and the EU to drop the waiver as flying resumes, Varadi said. He said that Wizz would consider a transaction to obtain them. He added that the carrier seeks to rehire 1,000 staff in the coming months. The EC has said the slot-rule suspension is temporary and aimed at protecting the industry, while also removing the need for airlines to fly empty planes just to keep flying rights. It is set to expire Oct. 24, though the EU has said it’s considering an extension.<br/>