BUSINESS NEWS


Marion Geoffroy: ‘Without the [Covid] crisis we would probably have more bases by now. We see demand increasing in the UK’


Wizz Air UK chief affirms 20% a year growth target


Marion Geoffroy highlights ‘opportunity in the UK regions’. Ian Taylor reports


Low-cost carrier Wizz Air plans to grow rapidly as it returns its full UK fleet to flying this winter. New UK managing director Marion


Geoffroy described the imminent replacement of day-two PCR tests by rapid tests as “a game changer”. Geoffroy, who took over in late


August, said: “Our ambition as a group is to grow by 20% a year every year and to grow in the UK by 20%.” The UK is already the airline’s


biggest market in western Europe, although the bulk of its schedule remains focused on central and


48 14 OCTOBER 2021


eastern Europe. Geoffroy explained: “We have an ambition to have 500 aircraft by the end of the decade. In the UK there is room for that. There is opportunity in the UK regions. “Without the crisis we would


probably have more bases by now. We see demand increasing in the UK.” Geoffroy is no newcomer to Wizz,


having joined the carrier in 2015 as general counsel, and has been involved in aviation for “more than 20 years”. She reported: “The summer went


well. There was a late start in the UK, people did not travel much in July,


but August and the first two weeks of September were very strong. We reached 85% of our capacity at the peak. Now there is a lot of capacity deployed for October. [But] bookings came in very late and that continues. “We’ve seen encouraging signs for


Christmas and, with the day-two PCR test removed for the fully vaccinated, there will be more.” The carrier currently flies from


Luton and Doncaster, plans to restart Continued on page 46 travelweekly.co.uk


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