Wizz Air Sets Sights on 20-Jet Gatwick Base as Rivals Retreat

Hungarian discounter will place first A321 at hub in October
Rules protecting unused slots frustrate expansion, CEO says

Watch: Jozsef Varadi, chief executive officer at Wizz Air Holdings Plc, discusses his expansion plans at Gatwick, slots at the airport and his business strategy. (Source: Bloomberg)

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By Christopher Jasper and Anna Edwards

August 25, 2020 at 6:45 AM UTC

Updated on

August 25, 2020 at 8:36 AM UTC

This article is for subscribers only.

Wizz Air Holdings Plc wants to expand its new base at London’s Gatwick airport from just one plane to 20 within a year if it can secure enough takeoff and landing slots.

While the hub will open with a lone Airbus SE A321 jet in October, Budapest-based Wizz sees scope to quickly expand it to employ 800 people, an operation that would support a further 4,000 jobs, Chief Executive Officer Jozsef Varadi said in an interview.