Air Transport World Names Wizz Air 2020 Airline of the Year

To be honored on June 2 at Gala Dinner in Vienna


NEW YORK, March 12, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aviation Week Network’s Air Transport World (ATW), the leading media brand serving the information needs of the global airline and commercial air transport communities, announced today that Wizz Air has been named the ATW 2020 Airline of the Year. It is the first time that the Award has been bestowed on an ultra-low-cost carrier.

The 2020 Airline of the Year award will be presented as the top honor at ATW's 46th Annual Airline Industry Achievement Awards Ceremony on June 2 in Vienna, Austria. The full list of 2020 winners will be announced shortly.

Wizz Air was founded in Budapest in 2004, and under the leadership of CEO József Váradi, it has become the fastest growing airline in Europe and the leading low-cost carrier in Central and Eastern Europe. Wizz Air has stimulated local economies, boosted employment rates and delivered record-breaking profitability and high liquidity levels year after year, underlining its unparalleled business resilience in Europe’s fiercely competitive market. Wizz Air’s strategy for growth and competitiveness has led to its market capital more than tripling since its 2015 initial public offering. In addition, the airline and to it has the best performing airline stock in the world, with a 31.6% one-year return. Wizz Air is also strongly committed to the environment, people and diversity.

József Váradi, Chief Executive Officer of Wizz Air, said: “We feel honored to be the first ever ultra-low-cost airline to receive the ATW Airline of the Year award. WIZZ was founded with the purpose of building a future where everyone has the freedom to travel and this award clearly demonstrates that low prices can be offered all while delivering our excellent brand of customer service and exceeding the expectations of our customers. In the past years, we have achieved record-breaking growth rates, in addition to higher than ever profitability, underlining our unparalleled business resilience in a fiercely competitive market. Our outstanding financial performance, as well as our continued focus on the three fundamental pillars of our business – environment, people and economy – are rapidly paving the way toward our goal of 300 next-generation aircraft by 2027, a fleet with which we will continue to lead innovation, as well as environmental- and cost-efficiency in the airline industry.”

"Wizz Air is highly deserving of being selected the 2020 ATW Airline of the Year. We congratulate József and his team for their innovation and passion for delivering on their mantra to build a future where everyone has the freedom to travel," said Karen Walker, editor-in-chief at ATW.

The 46th ATW Awards are sponsored by CFM International and Komy Mirror. Winners of other awards including Excellence in Leadership, Airline Market Leader, Airport of the Year, Passenger Experience Achievement and more will also be presented at a gala dinner in Sofiensäle/Vienna, Austria on June 2, 2020.

Previous recent recipients of the ATW Airline of the Year award include Lufthansa (2019) ANA (2018); American Airlines (2017); Etihad Airways (2016); Southwest Airlines (2015); Delta Air Lines (2014); ANA (2013); Air New Zealand (2012); and Emirates (2011).

For more information about the awards, attending the award ceremony and sponsorship opportunities, visit awards.atwonline.com.

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About Wizz Air

Wizz Air, the largest low-cost airline in Central and Eastern Europe, offers more than 700 routes from 25 bases, connecting 155 destinations across 45 countries. A team of more than 5,000 aviation professionals delivers superior service and very low fares making Wizz Air the preferred choice of almost 40 million passengers in 2019. WIZZ operates an all-Airbus fleet of 121 aircraft. Its A320s are equipped with 180 seats, its A321s with 230 seats and its A321neo aircraft with 239 seats. According to the latest data of the Swiss airline intelligence provider CH-Aviation, Wizz Air has one of the youngest airline fleets in the world. Wizz Air is listed on the London Stock Exchange under the ticker WIZZ and is included in the FTSE 250 and FTSE All-Share Indices. Wizz Air is registered under the International Air Transport Association (IATA), Operational Safety Audit (IOSA), the global benchmark in airline safety recognition. The company was recently named one of the world’s top ten safest airlines by airlineratings.com, the world’s only safety and product rating agency, and 2020 Airline of the Year by ATW, the most coveted honor an airline or individual can receive, recognizing individuals and organizations that have distinguished themselves through outstanding performance, innovation, and superior service.  

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Elizabeth Sisk  
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