Wizz Air replaces operations chief after probe into pilot redundancies

Low-cost carrier Wizz Air has replaced its flight operations chief after he was apparently recorded telling his team to draw up a redundancy list of pilots who were often sick or "caused grief" while sparing cheaper contract crew. In a letter to staff dated April 4, Wizz said its Head of Flight Operations Darwin Triggs was stepping down from his role after an investigation into "how the COVID-19 related redundancies were determined and carried out" last year. The Budapest-based airline announced plans to cut 1,000 jobs, or 20% of its workforce, in April 2020, weeks after a travel shutdown in Europe caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. In the letter, the airline said an independent review of its handling of the redundancies found no indication it had acted unlawfully but "some factors may have been taken into account that were inconsistent with Wizz Air's culture of open and honest communication and its focus on employee opportunity."<br/>