Europe’s Wizz Air expects to fully recover from pandemic next year

European budget carrier Wizz Air (WIZZ.L) expects to fully recover from the coronavirus crisis as travel demand rebounds from the pandemic, its chief executive said on Monday.

Speaking at the virtual Paris Air Forum, Jozsef Varadi repeated recent comments that the Hungary-based airline would fly more seats this summer than it was flying two years ago before the pandemic struck.

“From my perspective, 2022 should be a fairly robust year in terms of delivering not just the volume of traffic but also the financial performance attached to it,” he said.

“I’m looking at 2022 as a year of full recovery for Wizz Air.”

Speaking alongside Varadi, Air France-KLM (AIRF.PA) CEO Ben Smith said he had been pleasantly surprised at the demand among travelers visiting friends and family. “We are hoping to run about 60-65% of capacity this summer.” www.reuters.com