European low-cost carrier Wizz Air is significantly expanding its operations within Germany, bucking a trend seen with some other international airlines. The company intends to increase seat capacity to the German market by 30 percent this year, reaching 8.5 million seats.
According to Wizz Air’s CEO Jozsef Varadi, Germany has become a key growth market for the airline. The company’s primary German destinations are currently focused on regional airports, with Dortmund accounting for 2.7 million passengers, Memmingen with 1.5 million, Hamburg exceeding 850,000 and Berlin nearing 800,000. Varadi confirmed the airline has no current plans to operate at major hubs like Frankfurt or Munich.
Varadi attributes the expansion strategy to cost considerations. He cited high operational costs and inefficiencies at larger German airports, as well as limited availability of take-off and landing slots largely controlled by the Lufthansa Group. Regional airports, he stated, maintain costs more in line with the European average.
Looking ahead, Wizz Air aims to become the second-largest airline in Europe, surpassing Easyjet. This ambition is driven by double-digit annual growth, partially fueled by a strategic focus on Eastern European markets and a fleet comprised of newer, more fuel-efficient aircraft averaging 4.5 years in age and of larger capacity. Varadi anticipates a general increase in ticket prices across Europe, projecting a rise of three to five percent annually.