Wizz Air passenger numbers soar despite planes being grounded due to engine issues

Wizz Air has reported a passenger count exceeding five million in December 2024, marking a 2% rise from the previous year, despite having to ground several planes due to engine issues. The FTSE 250-listed airline disclosed that it served 5.06 million customers last month, even with a 3.1% reduction in available seats compared to the previous December, bringing the total to approximately 5.8 million.

This resulted in an occupancy rate of 86.5%, a significant increase from 82.1% at the end of 2023. "Early indications for our fourth quarter period, ending March 2025, remain positive, with bookings currently running ahead by over two percentage points versus this time last year," the budget carrier announced.

This week, Wizz Air reached a settlement with engine maker Pratt & Whitney to resolve issues related to the ongoing grounding of about 40 aircraft due to engine problems. These difficulties are expected to continue into the 2026 financial year and stem from "powder metal issues" in the company’s geared turbofan engines.

Pratt & Whitney has agreed to provide operational support and a compensation package to cover direct costs associated with the grounded planes. Meanwhile, discussions regarding future engine procurement are still in progress, according to Wizz Air.

Following the engine setbacks, the airline has announced plans to purchase around 50 new Airbus A321NEOs, which will expand its seat capacity by roughly 20% and increase the proportion of this type of aircraft to 77% of Wizz Air's fleet, as reported by City AM.

The company reported a 3.4 per cent drop in carbon dioxide emissions, with emissions per passenger falling by 4.1 per cent from the previous year to 53.7 grammes of carbon dioxide.