Wizz Air CEO on XLR Changes, Business Class Trial, and Airline Name
Wizz Air achieved a significant milestone on November 28, 2025, with the unveiling of its 250th aircraft in Budapest—a testament to the Hungarian low-cost carrier’s remarkable growth trajectory over the past two decades. CEO József Váradi expressed visible pride in the accomplishment, emphasizing that the airline’s 72 million annual passengers now exceed those carried by major legacy carriers including Lufthansa, British Airways, Air France, and KLM.
Váradi underscored the achievement’s significance against the backdrop of industry competition, noting that unlike established legacy airlines backed by government support throughout their histories, Wizz Air built its franchise independently. “We didn’t have any of that,” Váradi stated, highlighting the airline’s self-made success in establishing itself as a relevant European carrier and driving aviation adoption across Central and Eastern Europe.
The 250th aircraft milestone comes amid strategic fleet restructuring. In November 2025, Wizz Air announced a significant reduction in its Airbus A321XLR commitment, scaling back from 47 ordered aircraft to just 11. The 36 aircraft no longer required are being converted to standard A321neo orders. When pressed on potential disappointment regarding the XLR reduction, Váradi explained the pragmatic rationale: engine degradation in hot and demanding climates occurs three times faster than anticipated, risking increased aircraft groundings. “If we see the XLR is such a big deal in five years from now, we’ll come back to it,” he noted, demonstrating flexibility in long-term fleet strategy.
Beyond fleet decisions, Wizz Air is actively innovating its commercial offerings. The airline announced plans to trial “Wizz Class,” a new premium product blocking middle seats in the front cabin row. Váradi identified the front row as a significantly underutilized asset, noting that despite assumptions about its popularity, load factors remain below 100%. This trial represents an opportunity to better monetize prominent cabin real estate while addressing customer needs currently unmet by the carrier’s existing offerings.
When discussing the origins of Wizz Air’s distinctive brand identity, Váradi revealed a democratic approach to naming. Partnering with an American marketing expert, the airline evaluated over 200 potential names, ultimately refining them to three or four options tested in consumer focus groups. Following visualization with logos and colors, the final selection was determined by consumer preference rather than executive decree. This methodology reflects Váradi’s philosophy of brand-building through market validation.
Source ID: SRCE-2025-1764856846348-1145