WizzAir expects 500,000 passengers in 2007

Hungarian low-cost airline Wizz Air, estimates to carry 400,000 to 500,000 passengers to and from Romania as of January 15, 2007, following the introduction of five new destinations, flying from Baneasa airport. “We have decided to expand to Romania because we have a strong presence on the air travel markets of Poland, Hungary and Bulgaria, and an expansion to Romania after EU integration, is a logical thing to do. Moreover, Romania is a big market, with over 20 million inhabitants, where many people still see air travel as a privilege,” said J”zsef V?radi, Wizz Air’s CEO. Currently, the Hungarian company operates flights from Targu Mures airport, but as of January 15, 2007, Wizz will operate flights from Baneasa airport to five destinations: Budapest, Barcelona, Rome, Dortmund, and London. “We researched the Romanian air travel market before making the decision to introduce these flights. Our intention is not only to fly from Baneasa, but also to turn the airport into an operational hub of Wizz Air, which will allow us to station our aircraft overnight, as well,” explained V?radi. Wizz Air has five hubs throughout Europe, three in Poland (Katowice, Warsaw, Gdansk), one in Hungary (Budapest) and one in Bulgaria (Sofia).