Wizz Air is reducing the number of flights it operates from Gatwick Airport due to high operating costs and poor departure slots, according to the budget airline's chief executive.
József Váradi, CEO of Wizz Air, said the airline was losing money at Gatwick because of expensive fees and inferior slots. The carrier will shift capacity to Luton Airport, where costs are lower.
“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 told the Telegraph.
The airline will initially move one aircraft from Gatwick to Luton, increasing Luton's fleet to 13 planes, while Gatwick will retain seven aircraft. Váradi stressed that Wizz Air has no plans to leave Gatwick entirely but added that Luton offers better financial efficiency.
“Gatwick is stuck. It is so set with regard to slots that no newcomer can make any significant difference,” he said.
The announcement comes after Gatwick received approval for a £2.2 billion second runway, which will allow up to 100,000 additional flights annually. Separately, Blue Islands became the latest UK airline to collapse, cancelling all flights with immediate effect.
