Wizz Air has further expanded its Italian operations with the formal opening of its base at Rome Fiumicino airport. With four Airbus A321 aircraft at Rome Fiumicino airport, Wizz Air has launched 32 new services.
In little over 12 months, Wizz Air has also deployed 19 aircraft across Italy and operates a total of 261 routes to 91 destinations in 33 countries. This dynamic growth represents a +80% increase in capacity since the announcement of the establishment of the airline’s first base in Italy in the spring of 2020.
Wizz Air states that its continued investment in the market “will support stable, post-pandemic recovery of the Italian tourism sector, as well as boost economic growth in the country and provide long awaited low-fare and high quality services for passengers craving for a little holiday after such a long lockdown”.
Speaking at the base opening ceremony at Rome Fiumicino, George Michalopoulos, Chief Commercial Officer of Wizz Air Group said: “I am delighted to celebrate the opening of our newest base at Rome Fiumicino Airport. Our expansion in Rome underpins our commitment to continue investing in Italy and supporting Italy’s economic recovery as well as offering consumers a wide range of affordable destinations at low fares. In the last 12 months we have allocated 19 based aircraft to Italy, and will continue to invest in the market doubling our presence in the next three years launching further operating bases and new domestic and international routes. Our brand new A320neo-family aircraft as well as our enhanced protective measures will ensure the best possible sanitary conditions for travellers while operating with the lowest environmental footprint. We welcome the introduction of the EU COVID-19 certificate and hope that it will support the easier and worry-free movement of people within the European Union. We look forward to welcoming passengers on board with great service and a smile, while we strive to become Italy’s most-loved and environmentally conscious airline.”
Meanwhile, the airline has also reported its latest traffic figures. In June 2021, Wizz Air carried 1,557,000 passengers at a load factor of 64%. Capacity levels in June rose to 2.432 million seats from 961,797 in June 2020.
In the 12 months to end June 2021, the airline carried 19.311 million passengers – a fall of 59% compared to June 2020 figures. Load factor for the 12 month period was 64.4% - a steep fall from 92% registered in the year ago period.
For the month of June, emissions in grams per passenger/km were 19.0% lower compared to same month last year, as we witness an improvement in load factors over same time.