Dubai: European discount airline Wizz Air is filling seats on the Dubai routes it launched last October, achieving a seat capacity of over 80 per cent, according to its chief executive.
This compares to last year’s global average of 79.5 per cent, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
“The performance of the Budapest, Bucharest and Sofia flights are in line with expectations … On this basis, we should be able to bring more routes to the markets and increase frequencies on existing routes,” Varadi said.
Varadi, however, declined to comment on the profitability of the routes.
Positive response
The positive response to the routes will be welcomed by the first and only European no-frills carrier operating to Dubai. It has cut back its Ukrainian operations, where it has an off-shoot, and shifted capacity over to its Hungarian network.
Wizz Air also temporarily suspended Dubai-Kiev services “due to the Ukrainian situation,” said Jozsef Varadi, chief executive in Dubai on Monday at the Gulf Airport Leaders Forum.
“Our objective is to restore the operations as soon as it’s possible and practical,” he added.
Wizz Air is not the only carrier feeling the burn.
Sharjah’s Air Arabia has suspended Donetsk services and cut frequencies to Kiev and Odessa. Flydubai is also cutting frequencies to Ukraine. Emirates, which launched services to Kiev earlier this year, is not having a good time either with the route performing below expectations, Thierry Antinori, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer, recently told Gulf News.
Wizz Air was one of the first passenger airlines to launch operations at Al Maktoum International at Dubai World Central (DWC).
“That airport (DWC) has proven to be operationally very efficient,” Varadi said.
Asked as to whether there are any plans to introduce business class or other hybrid services like flydubai, Varadi said he will be sticking to the “ultra low-cost business model.”
