Wizz Air opens operational base in Baneasa

Hungarian low-cost carrier Wizz Air is opening in May its sixth operational base in Europe on the Aurel Vlaicu Baneasa Airport in Bucharest, according to the operator’s Executive Director Jozsef Varadi.

“We estimate to fly 500,000 passengers from Romania this year, and our target is to become low-cost market leaders in 2008. Since we first came to Romania we have registered 20,000 customers for the Targu Mures departing flights and 60,000 tickets sold. We already have 130-140 bookings on every scheduled flight from Bucharest,” said Varadi.

The Wizz Air official explains that the opening of the base in Baneasa means that Romanian pilots and flight attendants will be hired and that an Airbus A320 with 180 seats will be parked in Bucharest.

Wizz Air launched yesterday five flights from Bucharest to Rome, Budapest, London-Lutton, Dortmund and Barcelona, as well as two destinations with departure from Targu Mures: Rome and Barcelona. “We shall reach around 15 per cent in market share this year on the low cost Romanian market, as well as a turnover of EUR 30-40 M, with eight flights to European destinations, while counting on doubling the number of destinations by the summer of 2008,” stated Varadi. The company has been operating flights from Targu Mures to Budapest since July 2006.