Heavy Loss for Wizz Air After Expansion Gamble
- 7 Aug 2026 9:51 AM
- Hungary Around the Clock
Wizz Air reported an after-tax loss of €198.6 million in the second quarter, compared with a profit of €39.3 million a year earlier, as rapid capacity expansion and higher fuel costs pressured profitability.
Revenue increased by 5.5% to €1.51 billion, while passenger numbers jumped by 25% to 21.2 million and available seats rose by 25.4%.
Despite the growth, the load factor remained broadly unchanged at 90.9%, while revenue per seat kilometre (RASK) declined by 8.1%, reflecting weaker pricing.
Fuel costs surged by 39% to €611 million, with fuel expenses per seat kilometre rising by 21.3%.
As a result, operating profit of €27 million a year earlier turned into a loss of €183 million, while ebitda almost halved to €147 million.
The number of aircraft grounded due to problems with Pratt & Whitney engines fell to 27 from 41 a year earlier, but uncertainty remains high enough for Wizz Air to withhold full-year profit guidance.
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