Since its arrival in Romania, the Hungarian operator has constantly developed its route network and opened several operating bases throughout the country.
Wizz Air carried 2.7 million passengers to and from Romania in 2011, 29% more than in 2010, its officials said. Tarom did not reveal its passenger numbers, but it had set its target at 2.4 million in 2011. The company had not answered ZF’s question about how many people it carried last year by the time the story was ready for posting.
Wizz Air also beat Tarom in terms of profit. Whereas the Hungarian owners of the low-cost carrier have repeatedly said their business in Romania is profitable, the state-owned airline ended 2009 and 2010 with losses of EUR55 million and EUR78.9 million, respectively. Tarom did better in terms of revenue, though, which stood at EUR306 million in 2010, compared with an estimated EUR100-EUR150 million for Wizz Air. Wizz Air, however, charges less for its tickets.
(English version by Loredana Fratila-Cristescu)