Wizz Air weighs in: “Our airline will have a positive effect on Norway’s economy and domestic tourism”

Wizz airPhoto: Markus Winkler / Unsplash

Wizz Air has launched new flight routes across Norway. The company asserts their business will benefit the country, countering critical opinions.

Several unions and politicians, including Prime Minister Erna Solberg, have protested Wizz Air’s entry into Norway’s domestic flight market.

The objections came after WIZZ Air CEO József Váradi, said that the company “is trade union-free.” 

Some saw the statement as an attack on work principles upheld by Norway’s strong union front.

Wizz Air, however, claims that Norway has much to benefit from their new routes.

“Low fares, high frequencies and high quality flights”

What key benefits do you think the air routes will bring to Norway?

“Flying in Norway is an everyday mode of transportation as it is a long country and the geography of the country makes the air transport the only competitive way to provide quick connection between cities in different parts of the county.

“Wizz Air brings in low fares, high frequencies and high quality flights to the domestic market.

“With its convenient and high-frequency schedule, the airline will connect the cities in the regions with the capital and even cities within the rural areas, helping the free movement of people. This will have a positive effect on the economy, on domestic tourism, and will help families visit each other for an affordable fare,” a Wizz Air representative told Norway Today.

On bringing jobs to Norway

Have you employed any people in Norway so far?

“Wizz Air currently does not employ any crew members in Norway.

“Wizz Air aims to provide job opportunities to its existing crew in these difficult times and will therefore post crew employed by Wizz Air elsewhere within its network, to perform the services in Norway for a limited period of time, all in line with Norwegian Regulation on posted workers.”

How many jobs do you propose to bring to Norway with the new air routes, in the future? 

“Every based aircraft requires 6 sets of crew (36 crew members in case of an Airbus A320neo and 42 in case of an Airbus A321neo). 

“Furthermore, the Airport Council International suggests that 750 new jobs are created in the associated industries with every 1 million passengers carried.”

“Unpredecented growth”

Why do you think the good could outweigh the perceived bad? 

“The airline, instead of asking for state bail out, is focusing on retaining thousands of jobs and developing its network by opening new routes, and by having added 13 new bases to its network this year only.

“This unprecedented growth is thanks to the company’s devoted and highly skilled employees.

“Wizz Air brings both economically and environmentally sustainable operations to Norway. This means low fares and cutting edge technology aircrafts. The Airbus A320neo family aircraft has the lowest emissions of its category, and, it’s operated by the airline of the year.

“Wizz Air was awarded the 2020 Airline of the Year title by Air Transport World. This is 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).

“The airline brings real competition to the Norwegian domestic market which will benefit all travelers.”

Carefully chosen routes

Why did you choose the connections you did, and how are they important to Norway?

“Since its foundation, Wizz Air is devoted to liberating the lives of its passengers through affordable travel.

“The airline opened these routes after a careful evaluation and concluded that the demand for the currently opened routes were the highest.

“We see that there is a great demand for people living in the countryside to quickly, comfortably and sustainably travel to the capital as well as to travel between different cities of Norway’s rural areas.”

The new routes

Wizz Air has already had a presence in Norway for 15 years, but up until now, they only flew international routes.

The cities that Wizz Air now plans to fly between include:

  • Ålesund and Oslo (daily flights);
  • Bergen and Oslo (daily flights);
  • Bodø and Oslo (daily flights);
  • Oslo and Trondheim (daily flights);
  • Oslo and Tromsø (daily flights);
  • Trondheim and Bodø (daily flights);
  • Trondheim and Stavanger (multiple flights a week);
  • Tromsø and Trondheim (multiple flights a week);
  • and Tromsø and Bodø (daily flights).

Source: Norway Today

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