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NEWS.am interview with Roland Tischner, Managing Director of Wizz Air Hungary․
Armenia is the 17th country where Wizz Air opens a base – with two Airbus A321neo aircraft
We really believe that Armenia is a great market with growing demand and a growing economy. People here want to travel, they want to have direct connections to Europe. At the same time, this is also a country that is attractive for tourists. We could see the strong demand from the very first flights, and it has been growing year by year. There is demand both to Yerevan and from Yerevan. The base will initially have two aircraft, one of which has already started operation, while the second one will arrive on October 26. But I am quite confident that soon we will talk about further expansion. We are extending the network significantly. Once both aircraft are ready at Yerevan airport, we will operate 16 routes to 9 countries from Armenia, including Gyumri. We are literally talking about 1.2 million seats per year, which is a huge growth. We expect this market and demand to continue growing in the upcoming years.
New jobs for locals
We are going to create around 100 jobs in Armenia. Of course, the ideal scenario would be if all the crew members were all locals, but this will take some time. At the beginning, around 50% will be Armenians and 50% foreigners. We also need some experienced crew members, so we have to bring people from other countries. But as the base grows, the number of local citizens in the team will gradually increase, very close to 100%. For cabin crew it will be almost entirely local. For pilots it depends on how quickly we can recruit local pilots, which is always more difficult. And, of course, when an airline grows, it is sometimes difficult to rely only on the local pilot force. But our goal is to have as many local crew members as possible.
Training programs for those who want to join Wizz Air
Every new cabin crew member goes through our own training program. This is a roughly two-month-long program. We have training centers in Budapest with special mock-up facilities, slides and equipment. At the end of the training, they have to pass exams. It is very strict training. We already have about 20 local crew members who went through this program, and they will join the base in the coming weeks. This is the first group. Another group of 20 has already been selected and will start training in November, again going through basic training and then mock-up exercises. We also have a few pilots joining us. Of course, pilot training is different. But we have a program for people who want to become pilots but have no previous experience. This is our Wizz Air Pilot Academy program, which is based in Hungary with a dedicated training provider. Basically, in two years you can go from zero to hero – from never flying any aircraft to becoming a pilot. Those who successfully finish this training are automatically hired by the airline and start as first officers. Already about 10 Armenian citizens have applied to this program.
Wizz Air contributing to the development of Armenia’s aviation sector
The opening of the base and the training programs will definitely contribute to the development of Armenia’s aviation sector. We are bringing European standards here, which are probably the strictest in the world. All of our crew will be trained according to these standards, and we are training many people who will also continue to work in the Armenian aviation industry in the future.
The main challenge in Armenia
The main challenge is the limited space at the airport. Further growth will be difficult without further development of the airport. At this moment we have the support and infrastructure that we need, but for the future we will need more capacity. And of course, European standards are very strict, and we will require them here as well. But that itself will help the industry grow.
What low-cost really means
Affordable ticket prices are possible thanks to efficiency. Our Airbus A321neo aircraft are probably the best on the market right now. They burn 20% less fuel compared to the previous generation. Fuel is a significant part of aviation costs, so operating these aircraft comes at 20% lower costs. They also produce 50% less noise. We have very efficient aircraft. On top of that, all of our processes and operations are built on efficiency. For example, we always operate with high load factors, not half-empty planes. We aim for 90–94% load factor. We also maximize aircraft and crew utilization. That makes us more efficient, more resilient compared to other airlines, and allows us to offer affordable fares to passengers. So, it’s all about efficiency.
How Wizz Air balances affordability with quality service
As I mentioned, we have the newest aircraft. New aircraft mean better service. Who wants to fly on 10–15 year-old planes? Our fleet has an average age of 4.5 years, while many national carriers’ fleets are around 10 years old. That alone is a guarantee of better service. Our crew is highly trained, motivated, and in many cases local – they speak the language, they can provide excellent service. We are constantly improving every customer touchpoint, from ticket purchase to disruption handling. Efficiency, in my opinion, comes with better service – the two go hand in hand. We are also one of the most reliable airlines in Europe with the lowest cancellation rate. We only cancel if there is an airport strike or weather disruption. Otherwise, if we have a flight, we deliver it. And that’s the most important thing for passengers – that they can get to their destination.
