Wizz Air, a leader in both affordability and environmental responsibility within European aviation, has announced a bold new target. It plans to power 10% of its flights with sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) by 2030.
This ambitious goal marks the latest step forward in Wizz Air’s ongoing commitment to sustainability. The new goal will support the airline’s commitment to reduce its carbon emissions per passenger/km by 25% by 2030.
Reaching this target will require collaboration across the industry. Subsequently, Wizz Air is urging policymakers to address current barriers hindering large-scale SAF production.
Partnership with Firefly Strengthens Sustainability Efforts
The announcement comes alongside news of Wizz Air’s continued partnership with Firefly, a pioneering biofuel company based in the UK.
This collaboration will enable the carrier to supply up to 525,000 tonnes of SAF to its UK operations over a 15-year period, starting in 2028.
This new initiative reinforces it’s position as a sustainability leader within the aviation industry.
The airline is committed to a 25% reduction in carbon emissions per passenger/km by 2030. Wizz Air’s multi-pronged approach to sustainability includes:
- Modern Fleet: Utilizing the latest technology aircraft ensures maximum efficiency.
- High Load Factors: The carrier prioritizes high seat density and load factors to optimize resource utilization.
- Continued Investment in SAF: The partnership with Firefly exemplifies Wizz Air’s dedication to advancing SAF adoption.
Wizz Air: Industry-Leading Low Emissions
The carrier consistently achieves some of the aviation industry’s lowest carbon emission rates per passenger/km.
In 2023, the airline reached a record low annual average of 51.5 grams per passenger/km, reflecting a year-on-year reduction of 6.8%.
A Call for Industry-Wide Action
“Wizz Air celebrates two decades of transformation this year,” stated Yvonne Moynihan, Corporate and ESG Officer at Wizz Air.
“We’ve grown from a small airline to a global leader in sustainable and affordable travel. Sustainable aviation fuel, alongside fleet renewal and operational efficiency, plays a vital role in reducing aviation’s carbon footprint.”
“Our investment in Firefly, with its potential to cut our lifecycle emissions by 100,000 tonnes of CO2-equivalent annually, underscores our commitment to mainstreaming SAF use by 2030.”
“However, achieving this goal necessitates a significant ramp-up of SAF production and deployment.”
“We call on policymakers to address these barriers by incentivizing production, providing price support, and promoting the use of additional sustainable feedstocks for biofuel production.”
About Wizz Air
Wizz Air, Europe’s fastest-growing ultra-low-cost airline, boasts a fleet of 206 Airbus A320 and A321 aircraft.
Their dedicated team delivers exceptional service and ultra-low fares, making them the preferred choice for over 60.3 million passengers in 2023. Wizz Air trades on the London Stock Exchange under the ticker WIZZ.
The company has received numerous accolades, including being named one of the world’s top five safest airlines by airlineratings.com and Airline of the Year by Air Transport Awards in both 2019 and 2023.
Wizz Air has also been recognized as the “Most Sustainable Low-Cost Airline” within the World Finance Sustainability Awards (2021-2023).
It then gained the “Global Environmental Sustainability Airline Group of the Year” by the CAPA-Centre for Aviation Awards for Excellence (2022-2023).
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