Sponsored Editorial

The airline industry has never experienced such a collapse as it did during the Covid-19 outbreak. The pandemic caused major issues with transportation and brought new problems for many businesses.

Companies had to deal with multiple cancellations, restrictions and compensation claims plus recovering from this devastating situation involved many resources.

Like many other companies, Wizz Air had to face and deal with the issues quickly.

Before the pandemic, the company was expanding rapidly, and there was no stoppage for its success. The company used to have guidelines due to possible unexpected situations with flight tickets. However, Covid-19 baffled all travellers with a new reality.

THE ONSET OF THE PANDEMIC

No one ever imagined that such a worldwide crisis caused by Covid-19 could take place

Covid-19 (also known as SARS-CoV-2) is believed to have come from China. It was diagnosed in December 2019 for the first time

As Covid-19 started to spread globally, many countries reported hundreds of infected citizens, and governments began to set restrictions, especially after the World Health Organization (WHO) officially declared the disease as a pandemic in March 2020

Wizz Air reacted to this situation swiftly. Its powerful and quick response included…

▶ On March 15 2020, Wizz Air announced a reduction of flights due to a lack of demand and restrictions

▶ Wizz Air begins to cut non-essential expenses and negotiate with suppliers to preserve the resources

▶ The company begins to set special flights to help passengers reach their home countries in April 2020

▶ On May 2020, Wizz Air opened up domestic and international flights with compliance of set regulations

▶ Wizz Air set obligatory measurements to help control the spread of the disease. These involved checking temperatures, self-distancing, wearing a mask and presenting health certificates

▶The airline expanded the flight schedule and added routes in June 2020.

PASSENGER PROFILES AND CHANGING DEMOGRAPHICS

Airlines experienced drastic changes in passenger demographics throughout the crisis. Initially, an aircraft consisted mainly of…

▶ Leisure travellers

▶ Tourists who explore new countries

▶ Businessmen

▶ Students studying abroad

▶ Seasonal workers

However, during the pandemic, the list of passengers was substituted or added with…

▶ Crucial workers

▶ Essential figures that are forced to travel abroad

▶ Those travelling due to an emergency

▶ Visitors of friends or relatives

▶ In-country travellers.

The new reality forced the market to change and Wizz Air implemented these measures due to the uprising demand…

▶ Enhanced health and safety measurements for all passengers. Everyone was forced to wear a mask and keep a social distance. The company also had new cleaning protocols and offered free antiseptics

▶ The airline provided more flexible booking options. This helped passengers by avoiding fees for cancelling or amending bookings.

▶ Mobile apps, online registration, and contactless payments. As a result, a minimisation of contacts between various people and preventing the further spread of the disease.

OPERATIONAL RESPONSES AND STRATEGIC ADJUSTMENTS

Wizz Air demonstrated agility and responded to all difficulties it faced. It adapted all processes, operations and services to follow the set regulations. The main health and safety protocols involved…

▶ Mandatory wearing of face mask

▶ Obligatory cleaning and disinfection of all surfaces

▶ Social distances and minimised contacts

▶ Digital services and online payments

The company also optimised several routes and adjusted its strategy to be more efficient. It also diversified its main locations and expanded into new markets. All these solutions helped minimise expenses, make the company more flexible, and ensure further business growth.

Its financial strategy involved optimising schedules, reorganising plans, revising contracts, and investing in modernisation. Wizz Air managed its business by starting to provide more services like travel insurance and car rentals. The company diversified income-generating channels and provided financial sustainability.

RECOVERY EFFORTS AND MARKET RESILIENCE

Wizz Air’s recovery process included…

▶ Wizz Air faced the difficult situation of its market position being downgraded as Covid-19 meant countless restrictions worldwide and the cancelling of Wizz Air flights

▶ The company began to slowly resume operations and focus mainly on domestic flights in late 2020

▶ Starting in 2021, Wizz Air saw a growing demand in certain destinations and added more routes

▶ Wizz Air progressively restored its network and expanded schedules

Compared to other carriers, Wizz Air continued trying to surpass difficulties caused by the pandemic. It showed full engagement in the situation and responded to all complaints and requests rapidly. With these policies, Wizz Air was able to keep the loyalty and trust of many of its passengers.

CONCLUSION

Overall, because of Covid-19, Wizz Air had to face and deal with a difficult situation, as any other airline company in 2019-2020. Because of this, the airline came up with new rules, showed flexibility, and coped with new challenges. Unfortunately though, many clients still had to experience flight cancellations and apply for refunds.

If not for a customer-centric approach and a determination to maintain its market-leading position, we would not have seen such a strong dynamic in the airline industry that Wizz Air fuels.

The development of the company's effective strategies for similar situations in the future was caused by the rising number of new travellers. Wizz Air has since added a lot of new features and offers different destinations. So, it is a full success and victory over the pandemic crisis.