FILE PHOTO: CEO of Wizz Air, Jozsef Varadi, speaks during the unveiling ceremony for the 100th plane in its fleet, at Budapest Airport, Hungary, June 4, 2018. REUTERS/Bernadett Szabo/File Photo
November 14, 2021
DUBAI (Reuters) – Wizz Air Chief Executive Jozsef Varadi said on Sunday the Hungarian budget carrier was built for organic growth, but was not “blind”.
“(Wizz) is a platform based on organic growth. I think what we are saying is of course we are interested in market consolidation and to some extent we can pay that game; we can buy out airport slots for example,” Varadi told Reuters.
“We keep an eye on the market in trending terms and we will continue to do that. We are not a Lufthansa, we are not an IAG. Those are consolidating forces, we are not. We are an organic company with a clearly defined business model, but we are not blind,” he said after announcing an order for 102 jets in Dubai.
EasyJet in September said it had rejected a takeover approach, opting instead to raise $1.7 billion from shareholders and go it alone. It declined to name its suitor, but a source familiar with the matter told Reuters it was Wizz Air.
(Reporting by Tim Hepher; Editing by Alex Richardson)
