The UK Civil Aviation Authority has ordered Wizz Air to refund passengers £1.24 million ($1.57 million). The action is a result of a high volume of passenger complaints towards the airline over not paying them what they are owed and a failure to comply with passenger rights obligations. Passengers also accused Wizz Air of not providing appropriate care in the event of delayed flights.
Wizz Air is required to review previously assessed claims it received for replacement flight costs, transfers when replacement flights were via different airports, and care and assistance such as hotel expenses following flight disruptions. The action covers claims made for flights due to depart from or arrive in a UK airport after March 18, 2022.
"Passengers have every right to expect their claims to be resolved quickly, efficiently and in line with regulations," said UK Civil Aviation Authority consumer director Paul Smith. "These outcomes will now provide Wizz Air's passengers with a better experience."
The airline cooperated with the regulator's action and has now completed its review of claims. This has led to more than 25,000 claims being re-examined, and additional payments made in around 6,000 cases.
"Like all airlines in Europe, we faced unprecedented operating challenges in the summer of 2022 but the improvements we put in place have led to a better customer experience and our performance in 2023 was among the strongest in the industry," said Wizz Air UK managing director Marion Geoffroy. "We are seeing a significant uptick in our customer satisfaction scores and we remain fully committed to continuing to improve our operations in 2024 and beyond."
Wizz Air stated it had already launched its own commitments to reduce cancellations and create a better customer experience prior to the undertakings.