Wizz Air's Sustainability Efforts Pay Off

DALLAS — Wizz Air (W6), one of Europe's leading budget airlines, has announced that it has achieved its lowest-ever annual carbon intensity result, demonstrating its commitment to sustainability.

The airline, which operates a fleet of modern Airbus A320neo and A321neo aircraft, has been actively working to reduce its carbon footprint through various initiatives, such as investing in modern aircraft with fuel-efficient engines, optimizing flight plans, reducing aircraft weight, and adopting sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) where available.

Along with the 'neo' variants, the airline has 40 Airbus A320s, 35 Airbus A321s, and an Airbus A330-200 Freighter operated for the Hungarian Foreign Affairs & Trade Ministry. The average age of the fleet is 6 years - according to Planespotters.net.

Wizz Air has a carbon intensity score of 55.2 grams of CO2 per revenue passenger kilometer in 2022, a decrease of 15.4% compared to the previous year. This represents the lowest-ever annual carbon intensity result for the airline, highlighting W6's ongoing commitment to sustainability and reducing its impact on the environment.

Wizz Air's sustainability efforts have not gone unnoticed, with the airline receiving recognition from various organizations, including the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) and the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI).

"At Wizz Air, we are committed to sustainable growth and are constantly looking for ways to reduce our environmental impact. We are proud to have achieved our lowest-ever annual carbon intensity result and to be leading the industry by example in sustainability.

Wizz Air CEO József Váradi

How Wizz Air Achieved Low Carbon Intensity Score

Wizz Air does not fly half-empty planes, if the Airbus A321 or A321neo isn't filled with enough passengers, they switch to Airbus A320 or A320neo on the specific flight.

Additionally, the airline doesn't have any business or first-class seats, and it only flies direct routes without connecting flights, which leads to extra fuel burn. According to the airline's website, there aren't any train alternatives for its routes below 4 hours.

Looking ahead, W6 has set sustainability goals of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 and reducing its carbon emissions per passenger kilometer by 30% by 2030. The airline follows the industry trend as it invests in sustainable technologies and works with partners to support the development of SAF and other sustainable aviation solutions.

To create more awareness for the future of sustainable aviation, W6 hosted a livery design competition. The task is to design a sustainability livery for one of their Airbus A321neo aircraft. Entries are closed, and the winner will be announced on social media.

Featured image: HA-LZA Wizz Air Airbus A321neo LFPO ORY. Photo: Tony Bordelais/Airways

https://airwaysmag.com/wizz-air-robust-summer-2023/