Wizz Air, Erna Solberg | The Wizz Air boss hits...

The Hungarian low-cost airline Wizz Air is a giant, and has decided to hijack the Norwegian aviation market with low prices. They have already shocked with domestic airline tickets for 49 kroner.

Their entry into Norway has met with strong protests, and even Prime Minister Erna Solberg has called for a boycott after the Wizz Air boss said they are an airline without unions.

– I just hope that as soon as she understands the facts and our values, she will change her mind, says CEO József Váradi in Wizz Air to Nettavisen.

Read more: Wizz Air has triggered a price crash at SAS and Norwegian: Cuts the price of 2,000 kroner

Strikes back at union criticism

He is on a video link from Hungary, after an imaginary trip to Norway went in the sink, where he wanted to spread the message about low prices and how to hijack the Norwegian market.

– You may think that Norway is something special, but operating in Norway is like any other EU country. Any European airline can operate in Norway, he says when asked about trade unions.

Varadi emphasizes that they comply with laws and regulations, and that it is up to the employees if they want to join a trade union.

– 50 percent of the workforce in Norway is not part of a trade union. I respect their right to organize. It’s their choice. But the aviation industry is already thoroughly regulated with both rest time, how long you can fly at a time and so on, says Váradi.

Read more: Wizz Air shocks with even lower ticket prices

– SAS and Norwegian already have dominance in the Norwegian market, how are you going to take the inside turn on them?

– We are not very interested in what SAS and Norwegian do. We do what we do. I think competition is good, because it benefits consumers with lower prices and newer aircraft.

– What are you doing better than SAS and Norwegian?

– You can look at our accounts and compare it with our competitors. We fly more than any other company and we are very efficient. We have the least climate emissions through newer aircraft and better technology, says Váradi.

The article continues after the measurement.

Hudfletter Norwegian

Váradi believes that many other airlines have struggled for a long time, regardless of the coronavirus, and that they thus have little reserves – and need the goodwill of governments to get state support. Wizz Air, on the other hand, has built up a lot of capital in good years, in order to be able to utilize it when a new crisis arises.

– We use the good times to not only survive when it turns, but also build up reserves to use them to our advantage in bad times, says Váradi.

Also read: Wizz boss critical of flight boycott

In Norway, Norwegian is synonymous with low prices, and has in many ways ensured competition in the Norwegian aviation market. But the Wizz Air boss is unimpressed by the company, which is now struggling with the coronavirus.

– Just look at the accounts of the Norwegian airlines. Before the coronavirus, Norwegian was practically a bankrupt company. It has nothing to do with the coronavirus. It was a problem that went much deeper than that. They may go bankrupt, but it is up to the government – we will see, he says.

– What has Norwegian done wrong?

– Everything! They had a very focused business, but they opted for more and more routes that did not make money, and lost control of the company. If Norwegian goes bankrupt, it is not because of either the coronavirus or Wizz Air, he says.

Norwegian rejects the allegations from the Wizz Air manager.

– Before the corona crisis paralyzed aviation around the world, Norwegian had implemented cost savings in the billions and was poised to deliver the best summer ever and a profitable 2020, so this is a false claim, writes Norwegian’s information director Lasse Sandaker-Nielsen in an email to The online newspaper.

Read more: Now airline sales explode: – Cheapest ever

Wizz Air believes they are among the most climate-friendly airlines, and believes it is very inaccurate when the authorities introduce airline seat fees.

– Such taxes should follow emissions, and not be flat taxes. Norwegians love to fly and the authorities should not introduce such taxes that go beyond consumers, he says.

– MDG has proposed an airline seat fee of NOK 300 on domestic flights with a train connection. With tickets of 49 and 99 kroner – what do you think about that?

– I think politicians should think carefully. We believe the aviation industry must become far cleaner and greener. We do this with ever newer aircraft and better technology. Before we get electric planes and environmentally friendly fuel, we must be careful not to do anything that destroys the entire industry.

Read also: Ap-Raymond strongly against Erna Solberg’s flight boycott

– Can get 10 kroner tickets to Norway

Wizz Air has already marketed tickets for both 99 and 49 kroner. But the boss himself says it can quickly happen that Norwegians also get 10 kroner tickets, as has been seen in several places in Europe.

– It can happen. We follow the market, and prices based on that. There may be times when we have to stimulate customers, and we do our best to achieve that, says Váradi.

The company has a tough low-cost strategy which means that tickets are kept very low, and that customers must buy all extra services themselves. He does not like criticism that the company tries to annoy customers with all the extra costs.

Read more: Norwegian responds in the air war – dumps ticket prices to the bottom

– 55 percent of their income comes from tickets. The rest are extra services. Is it mostly to annoy customers?

– This is the customer’s choice. We try to make flying available to as many people as possible. Then customers must be given the choice, rather than us doing it for them. You can fly with just one ticket. But if you want more comfort or extra luggage, you pay for it, he says and adds:

– If you think the cup of coffee you get on the flight is free, you are wrong. It is in fact the most expensive coffee cup you have ever bought, says Váradi.

Although the company is an entrance to a large number of destinations such as Croatia, Hungary, Italy and many more, they will not start with onward connections.

– We see that more and more people are making further connections, and our customers can of course do so. But they have to do it themselves. Several airports have begun to do so for customers. We will continue to look at it, he says.