By the low-cost book

In his cover interview with Airline Business, Wizz Air chief executive József Váradi explains how he believes adherence to the low-cost rulebook has been crucial to the rapid rise of the airline and feels this strategy will help it gain further ground in the current economic climate. 

He says some of this expansion will be in Europe's periphery and to the East of the continent.

As one would expect he is in favour of a liberalised environment where airlines can compete freely and does not believe a national airline is necessary to create infrastructure or boost a country's economy. As a result he feels that the end of loss-making state carriers propped up by governments is inevitable.

Váradi also sees a distinction between what he describes as "ULCCs", ultra-low-cost carriers, a category which in which he places Wizz Air; and LLCCs, lazy-low- cost carriers, that have lost their original focus and are "diverting from the basic fundamentals of being really low-cost".

To read the full interview click here.