Wizz Air CEO sees long term potential for GTF engine
Wizz Air CEO József Váradi, speaking at the CAPA Airline Leader Summit - Airlines in Transition, stated (23-Apr-2026) he does not regret purchasing Pratt & Whitney GTF engines. Mr Váradi noted while the engine issue is a 'hiccup' that should have been avoided by the industry, the engine has long term potential and is the right choice for Wizz Air. Mr Váradi added: "We negotiated a flight order agreement with Pratt & Whitney. So, my maintenance costs are fully protected vs the others who are subject to the market".
Background ✨
Wizz Air's Pratt & Whitney GTF inspections continued to ground significant capacity, with 33 aircraft out of service as at 31-Dec-2025 and average FY2026 groundings guided at 30 to 35, easing to 20 to 25 by end FY2027 on a 250-day turnaround assumption1. Management sought to mitigate disruption via a commercial support agreement covering direct grounding-related costs through 31-Dec-20262, while CFO Ian Malin said the groundings were "hugely distortive" to the cost base despite compensation3.