TBM Staff - Mumbai
Wizz Air, a Hungary-based ultra-low-cost airline group, plans to launch direct flights connecting India with various destinations in Europe, targeting average one-way fares of just EUR 200 (approximately INR 18,000). József Váradi, CEO, Wizz Air, hopes to start flying to India as early as the next financial year, pending necessary approvals in India and Europe.
Wizz Air will be introducing the Airbus A321XLR, which has a longer range than the current A320 family aircraft, allowing it to operate non-stop flights of up to 8.5 hours. This will enable the airline to connect various cities in Europe with India. Initially, Wizz Air plans to connect six to seven European cities with major airports in India.
The airline is targeting average one-way fares of EUR 200, with the cheapest tickets potentially going for as low as sub- EUR 100.
Váradi believes that low fares will attract tourists and diaspora, and there is significant demand for affordable travel between India and Europe from both these segments.
Currently, almost all direct flights between India and Europe are operated by full-service carriers, with hardly any budget carriers in the mix. Wizz Air is a point-to-point carrier that claims to have the lowest cost model in Europe and operates over 750 routes, flying to and from more than 190 airports in 50-plus countries.
Wizz Air is also keen to start flights between Abu Dhabi and India, with discussions underway. However, this remains subject to acceptance and approval by the Indian side.
