Wizz Air: We Will Not Fail Pursuing Our Target

Cosmina Capalău

Low-cost airline Wizz Air has reported an increase in the overall number of passengers in the first quarter of the year, despite the economic crisis. Corporate Communication & Public Affairs Director Natasa Kazmer told BURSA that the airline had carried over 255,000 passengers to and from Romania in the first months of 2009, up by 120% year-on-year. She stressed that Wizz Air"s objective was to reach a full-year total of 1.7 million passengers to and from Romania, up by more than double last year"s figures.

As for the potential consequences of the economic crisis, she said "we will never fail pursuing our target, so our strategy remains unchanged. We will continue to cut costs, which are already very low. This is the only reasonable strategy in this period. Keeping costs low will make it possible for us to continue to offer low prices to our passengers and thus increase traffic," she added.

• Main challenge: currency fluctuations

In Natasa Kazmer"s opinion, "all branches of the economy are affected by the crisis. At times like this, there are both positive and negative effects. For us, the biggest challenge is the currency fluctuations in Central and Eastern Europe. At the same time, we can notice some positive elements from countries such as Romania, which has achieved a GDP growth. In such cases, even if the market is somewhat declining, Wizz Air continues to grow faster than on other markets.

"People will continue to fly, but they will look twice before buying a ticket. This will create a shift from traditional airlines to low cost airlines. Generally speaking, the leisure industry is affected by the crisis, as people make reservations at the last moment, considering the unforeseen circumstances of their personal revenues, or they simply choose not to travel," Kazmer concluded.