Hungarian airline Wizz Air, which operates nine routes out of Liverpool, agrees deal worth up to £3.5bn to buy 75 Airbus aircraft, the wings for which will be made in Deeside. Tony McDonough reports
Wizz Air is to buy 75 aircraft from Airbus in a deal that could be worth up to £3.5bn.
Hungarian carrier Wizz operates nine routes out of Liverpool John Lennon Airport to locations in Albania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland and Romania.
Its deal with Airbus will see it buy 75 A321neo Family aircraft, this takes its total order for the single aisle plane to 434. It will also mean Wizz will in total be operating 565 Airbus aircraft.
As usual with Airbus, the value of the deal was not disclosed but the £3.5bn estimate is based on the list price for the A321neo.
This will be good news for workers at the Airbus factory at Broughton in Deeside which will make the wings for the plane. The huge plant employs around 4,500 people, many of whom live in Liverpool city region.
József Váradi, chief executive of Wizz Air, said: “With today’s announcement, Wizz Air further reinforces its position as the largest A321neo Family operator in Europe and the Middle East.
“More than half our fleet has already been converted to cutting-edge neo technology. The A321neo’s unparalleled economic efficiency and remarkably low carbon footprint underpin our commitment to provide affordable and sustainable travel options.
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“We have enjoyed a longstanding strategic partnership with Airbus and are steadfast in our commitment to this exceptional technology with one of the largest outstanding order books in the world of more than 350 neo aircraft.”
The A321neo is the largest member of Airbus’ A320neo family. By incorporating new generation engines and sharklets, the A321neo offers a 50% noise reduction and more than 20% fuel savings and CO2 reduction. 5,200 have been sold so far.
Christian Scherer, Airbus chief commercial officer and head of Airbus International, added: “Thanks to József’s stewardship, Wizz Air has steadily grown to become a formidable airline.
“The investment in the A321neo is a solid foundation in Wizz Air’s continued expansion strategy. We thank József and everyone at Wizz Air for their unwavering confidence in our partnership and our products.”