[SimonS1]

“the FAA has advised us that it cannot make a determination at this time as to whether the safety oversight of Wizz Air Hungary is sufficient”

Wizz Air Can’t Fly to the US

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Kjell

[cwoodward]

I am not at all surprised as safety and compliance issues have surrounded Wizz for the past several years.
They are not an airline on which I would feel comfortable travelling.

[Tom Otley]

That may be true, though for the millions who do travel with Wizz Air, it may just be the leg room and strict carry-on that causes discomfort!

To provide context on this, Wizz Air has an excellent safety record. It flew 4 million passengers last month (June 2022)

Wizz Air rated one of the world’s safest low-cost carriers

Wizz Air rated one of the world’s safest low-cost carriers

This refusal by US authorities is for a cargo flight (An Airbus A330F cargo plane it operates but which is owned by the Hungarian government).

Wizz Air did not receive permission for American flights – here is why

“According to the rejection decision, the decision is not final, additional information is awaited from the EU and Hungarian aviation authorities, because it is not clear how Wizz Air is supervised by the two organizations and whether its effectiveness is adequate.”

Nem kapott engedélyt amerikai járatokra a Wizz Air

It’s true that some pilots have criticised the airline

Veteran Wizz Air pilots speak out about safety concerns at ‘dangerous airline’

Wizz Air pilots have spoken to the Mirror about conditions at the ultra-low budget Hungarian airline, with them all raising concerns about fatigue, safety and pay

https://www.mirror.co.uk/travel/news/veteran-wizz-air-pilots-speak-27250465

As the airline said in reply to that article

”
“Wizz Air categorically rejects any claims about lack of safety. Wizz Air and the airline industry are highly regulated by a number of oversight authorities (such as EASA and the UK CAA) which govern and monitor every aspect of safety, including when and how long any crew member is able to work.”

[cwoodward]

No actual crashes but lists of accidents and serious incidence as long as your arm over many years-7 so far this year most caused by neglect, poor miniatous or pilot error it seems.

It is these cumulative failures I am told that is concerning regulators coupled with the dissatisfaction over several years of pilots and unions to the stressed roster system in operation where crew are routinely pushed to the limit of of hours and beyond all of the time and threatened with dismissal if they don’t comply

This is an airline stressed in all directions in order to maintain the very low fares offered and why by many in the industry it is regarded as an airline best to be avoided.

EASA became the competent authority in 2021 taking over from the inactive Hungarian government agency and this piece from Flight Global illustrates some of the concerns raised to them https://www.flightglobal.com/safety/wizz-air-safety-row-with-unions-re-ignites-after-varadi-fatigue-remarks/148971.article

I was also sent the following piece from The Daily Mirror which further illustrates the crew fatigue problem

ByMilo Boyd Travel Reporter
10:32, 21 Jun 2022UPDATED08:41, 23 Jun 2022
|
9
COMMENTS
A group of senior Wizz Air pilots have warned of serious fatigue issues at the airline which they say has become a major safety concern.

The Mirror has spoken to three current and one former pilot working for the budget airline in the UK and across Europe about conditions at the Hungarian company, which has pushed back on some of their claims, “categorically” rejecting any concerns about a lack of safety.

The pilots all raised concerns with flight rosters, the amount they’re required to work, levels of pay and morale, and were united in their predictions that the situation at Wizz Air would get worse.

One senior Wizz Air pilot, Andrew*, has gone as far as to call on potential customers to avoid travelling with Wizz Air, implying that it may be immoral to do so based on how staff are treated.

-The article goes on for several more paragraphs –

[SimonS1]

Their timekeeping and customer service is a disgrace.

If their safety regime is remotely close to the same level there would be no room for complacency.

[AMcWhirter]

Wizzair says today (July 27) it will cancel more flights this summer.

Wizz Air cancels 10 per cent of flights as airline battles ongoing travel chaos

[Author]

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