Analysis

Wizz Air opens new 30 million-euro training centre in Budapest

Hungarian airline Wizz Air has opened a new 3,800 sq m state-of-the-art training centre in Budapest, an investment worth more than 30 million euros.

Developed by real estate company WING, the new facility is one of Europe’s most advanced aviation training centres, and has been equipped with two Airbus A320 CAE 7000XR Series full-flight simulators. The training centre will also have a cutting edge Cabin Emergency Evacuation Trainer by TFC as well as a V9000 Commander Next-Generation Fire Trainer by Flame Aviation.

“Wizz Air prides itself on an outstanding safety culture and we are excited to open this brand new state-of-the art training centre here in Budapest, which marks an important milestone in the airline’s history,” said Wizz Air CEO József Váradi.

“This new facility, which hosts Wizz Air’s pilot academy as well as a location for recurrent training of our existing crew, brings a new era in crew training and ensures that Wizz Air is ready to become an airline of three hundred aircraft and ten thousand crew members carrying a hundred million passengers per year. We are delighted to bring world class talent from all over the WIZZ network to Hungary and to train the crew members of the future at this modern all-in-one training centre.”

Accommodating up to 300 trainees per day at full capacity, coming from all over Wizz Air’s network, the region’s newest training centre is able to host classroom training sessions as well as flight and cabin simulation exercises. Initial and recurrent ground training and type ratings are also part of the offering.

“The Hungarian government set two main goals when it made international trade a priority of its foreign policy: to help domestic companies compete in export markets and to attract foreign investment to Hungary,” added Tamás Menczer, Hungarian state secretary for information and international representation.

“Neither is possible without a robust transport infrastructure. As a small and open economy, it is vital that Hungary is easily and quickly accessible, and that’s where Wizz Air plays a pivotal role as Central and Eastern Europe’s largest airline. It is no coincidence that Wizz Air was named European Airline of the Year in 2017. The success of Wizz Air is the success of the Hungarian economy, so the company can continue to count on the government’s support in economic, diplomatic and other areas,” said Mr Menczer.