Central European budget carrier had 27 A320neos on the ground at the end of June.
Wizz Air chief executive Jozsef Varadi believes the carrier is still on track to be clear of Pratt & Whitney GTF engine-related A320neo-family aircraft groundings by the end of 2027, lifting one of the key challenges which have impacted the business.
The Central European carrier still had 27 aircraft grounded due to GTF engine-related inspections at the end of June. This, however, marked a notable improvement on the 41 aircraft it had out of service for the same reason a year ago.
Wizz expects the number groundings to fall to between 15 and 20 by March next year and is hopeful of reducing this to zero by the end of 2027.
Speaking during an earnings call for the carrier’s fiscal first quarter on 6 August, Varadi said he believes this schedule is on track.
“We have the plan in place that is now pretty intact and we believe is going to get delivered by the end of calendar 2027, when the entire GTF grounded fleet will be ungrounded.”
While he notes there remains engine maintenance congestion, and challenges on spare parts availability, Varadi does not believe there is a huge risk to the aircraft ungrounding plan. “Structural groundings we should be out in 18 months from now,” he says.
Varadi adds that the GTF groundings have been the single biggest structural issue of the challenges impacting the profitability of the business over the last few years.
“If you really think about the level of disruption to the business and to what extent it has affected the financial performance on the cost side, on the revenue side [and] on the balance sheet, it’s been hugely disruptive,” he says.
“In 18 months from now, we are out of it…I think that one on its own merit will reset the business back to where we used to be.”
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