Wizz Air confirms Ukraine evacuation plans ‘when it is safe’
Staff offered passage and support when last four aircraft removed
MikeTyes
Wizz Air has confirmed plans to evacuate its remaining employees and four aircraft based in Ukraine “when it is safe to do so”.
Budget carrier Wizz is the only EU airline to have bases in Ukraine, with three aircraft grounded in Kyiv which is under siege by Russian forces and a fourth aircraft in the western city of Lviv.
In a statement today, Wizz Air said: “We have an evacuation plan ready to bring the assets out of the country.
“Our primary concern has been the safety of our people in Ukraine and the company is working tirelessly to support the remaining employees who are willing and able to evacuate from the country, providing them full support to find safety in neighbouring countries.”
Wizz suspended all flights to and from Ukraine and Russia following the closure of Ukrainian, Russian and Moldovan airspace.
The carrier reported it continues to operate Moldova flights out of Iasi in Romania, noting: “We will continue to review the suspensions as the situation unfolds.”
In a business update, Wizz said Russia’s invasion of Ukraine would hit 7% of flights across its network this month as it seeks “to maximally mitigate this impact by redistributing capacity”.
The carrier forecast its quarterly operating loss would be “slightly greater” than in the previous quarter “subject to preserving the integrity of our assets on the ground or other further developments”.
Wizz Air chief executive József Váradi said: “We have been focused on helping our colleagues and their families in Ukraine to move to places of safety.
“Many colleagues are volunteering, offering a place to stay and have donated money to the Wizz Employee Solidarity Fund to help support our Ukrainian colleagues and their families.
“We continue to work to bring everyone to safety and to provide support where needed.”
Varadi said: “We will offer already evacuated colleagues continued support and the choice to get employment elsewhere in the network, should they wish to.”
Wizz Air has previously announced it would support Ukrainian refugees by offering 100,000 free seats on all short-haul flights departing from Ukraine’s border countries, along with ‘rescue flights’ priced at €29.99.
