Wizz Air (W6, Budapest) has confirmed it has now put into effect, plans to offset the impact of Brexit. In a statement to Travel Weekly, the EU-based budget carrier confirmed it had established a UK-based company - Wizz Air UK Ltd - in late September.
"We can confirm that Wizz Air has established a company in the UK and we are reviewing the process for a UK Air Operator Certificate (AOC), which will allow us to continue operating flights to and from Britain in the event that no aviation deal is agreed," it said. "Wizz Air’s main concern is to protect the interest of its customers, investors and employees. While the Brexit outcome remains uncertain for all, and the aviation industry is no different, Wizz Air stays committed to the UK and believes in enhancing connectivity of the UK with destinations in Europe and beyond."
Though the budget carrier has only alluded to reviewing the terms for a UK-based AOC, online reports have suggested that it has, in fact, already initiated the process.
In the wake of Brexit, Europe's largest operators have already set in motion plans to establish subsidiaries in either the UK or European Union (EU) ahead of a March 2019 deadline for a Brexit deal to be concluded. While UK-based easyJet (London Luton) has already established and launched an Austria-based unit - easyJet Europe (EC, Vienna) - Ryanair (FR, Dublin International) has yet to announce any similar such plans. In July, the Irish LCC warned it could redeploy its fleet of almost ninety UK-based B737-800s to Europe should London and Brussels fail to reach a post-Brexit Open Skies agreement.
