Leeds Bradford: Wizz Air Flights, New Routes & Schedule Updates

[White Heather]

I do share the view that if this happens it will most likely backfire on them. FR have more scope to go after them in a big way at MAN along with an opportunity for rich pickings at LBA.
Let's hope it is "in addition to" LBA and LPL but alas I fear not

I suspect the clue is in what Vincent Hodder said last week. They're an unstable airline, never really settled on their business model, and now wanting to operate daily on their routes! That's not going to happen on Bucharest or Warsaw from LBA (or LPL) and it certainly won't happen on Cluj from LPL as they don't fly that route from there. Go to MAN and combine the LBA and LPL programmes and then presumably they figure daily is viable. Maybe it is. Maybe it isn't. If they do this and get it wrong, it will be manna from heaven for Ryanair and the death knell of Wizz in the North of England at least. It seems like the sort of thing new management would do when coming in with the task of saving money.

 

[Iron Duck]

5 years ago Wizz were doing the same thing applying for slots at Manchester. Came to nothing. It could be a curved ball to Ryanair.

That was for a 4 aircraft Wizz UK base though. This is far more likely, unfortunately

 

[Seasider]

If Wizz, and it's a big IF, do consolidate LBA/LPL ops at MAN, we would possibly lose only one route - CLJ. Hopefully Ryanair will pick up the frequency and CLJ.

 

[Silvercity]

That was for a 4 aircraft Wizz UK base though. This is far more likely, unfortunately

Its all hearsay at the moment. May come to nothing. If they set up a base at Manchester, I predict it will be a bloodbath there.

 

[Finger66]

It's a big risk for Wizz. So if they want to "Play" at being a little fish in a big pond at MAN, today of all days we know how that ends!

 

[Aviador]

It's a big risk for Wizz. So if they want to "Play" at being a little fish in a big pond at MAN, today of all days we know how that ends!

Its all hearsay at the moment. May come to nothing. If they set up a base at Manchester, I predict it will be a bloodbath there.

My thoughts exactly!

 

[Len Fish]

As others have intimated the best attack by Ryanair would be to pick up the slack at both LBA and LPL and then ruthlessly squeeze Wizz at MAN. O’Leary is just the man to do it and won’t take prisoners.

 

[Ian Gratton]

If the rumour did become reality those who shall not be named will have a field day and claim success, just the same as those down the A1 will

 

[Bigman]

I don't see why those down the road would see it as a victory as surely it would pretty much end any chance of them getting them back

 

[ChrisBBB]

I don't see why those down the road would see it as a victory as surely it would pretty much end any chance of them getting them back

Absolutely, I don’t see it as a victory for anyone, LBA, Liverpool, Manchester, Finningley or Wizz.
As others have intimated, it probably plays into the hands of Ryanair only.

 

[BCFC]

It's a big risk for Wizz. So if they want to "Play" at being a little fish in a big pond at MAN, today of all days we know how that ends!

And we know what happened? To PLAY……

 

[mullion]

Wizz are not a little fish though are they

 

[Finger66]

And we know what happened? To PLAY……

@BCFC that was what my play on words was intimating!

Wizz are not a little fish though are they

Not in airline size no, but I am not sure how strong they actually are overall. As has been stated elsewhere the word "unstable" has been used which is not good for any business model. With the size of FR/U2/LS and others at MAN they would certainly start that way. If they manage to get a foothold then all credit to them but I think they are seriously on the backfoot

 

[HX3]

If Wizz were to upsticks, I guesstimate we would lose 200-250k passengers a year based on an average 10 return flights per week throughout the year. Airblue if they turn up at 3 weekly may make up 50-60k of that loss, but that still leaves a significant loss to both passenger numbers and airport revenue. Let’s hope that if they do go, others do plug that gap - we have a new extension to pay for 😃
If they go to MAN as suggested, I predict carnage for them. I doubt it will end well, there is way too much competition there in quite a saturated market.

 

[gulftraveller]

MAN does not need Wizz. But I guess that it reduces costs for the airline to have one northern station rather than two. We do not yet know whether this refers to Wizz or Wizz UK. I suspect the latter. But all this talk of ‘carnage’ and ‘bloodbath’ is slightly baffling. They would be moving to a very large airport with a huge catchment. I cannot think of an example anywhere else of Ryanair going in for the kill against WZZ: they certainly didn’t at LBA or LPL. If they did come to MAN they would, doubtless do very well like other LCCs. Whether the airline has a long term future, that’s a different question.

 

[Silvercity]

I'm not so sure Ryanair at Liverpool has certainly seen Wizz off certain routes. Rome was an example, which was an initiative by Wizz, as soon as they announced the route Ryanair did the same. Wizz gave up pretty fast. They are not gaining any catchment area, only a more crowded arena IMHO.

 

[Aviador]

They would be moving to a very large airport with a huge catchment.

That old chestnut. The three Northern Powerhouse airports share the same catchment.

 

[Statto]

I cannot think of an example anywhere else of Ryanair going in for the kill against WZZ: they certainly didn’t at LBA or LPL

Apart from launching the same routes, and pricing aggressively you mean.

 

[SierraHotel]

Is there not an aviation equivalent of the Monopolies and Mergers Commission?

 

[Finger66]

I would also question why Wizz have dropped GDN from LBA - Ryanair!
Ryanair also jumped on OTP at LBA although that route survives for now at LBA with Wizz.
Appreciating fleet issues have contributed but the Wizz LBA program is far smaller than when they arrived in 2022 and I would suggest FR are the main driver behind that

I would also question why Wizz have dropped GDN from LBA - Ryanair!
Ryanair also jumped on OTP at LBA although that route survives for now at LBA with Wizz.
Appreciating fleet issues have contributed but the Wizz LBA program is far smaller than when they arrived in 2022 and I would suggest FR are the main driver behind that