Wizz Air "not concerned" with Macedonian subsidy tender
Wizz Air has said it is unconcerned over two botched tenders by the Macedonian government aimed at granting state aid for the development of new routes. The low cost airline was the only carrier to apply but was rejected on both occasions due to alleged shortcomings with its application. Speaking to EX-YU Aviation News, Wizz Air's CEO, Jozsef Varadi, said, "No, we are not concerned. This is a matter for the government to consider and decide on. We think that, strategically, it is important for the country to continue to develop its infrastructure and accessibility. Given the stage of development of Macedonia's market at the moment it looks like some government aid is important and it has been a successful recipe for building traffic from Skopje but it is a government decision".
The Macedonian government has adopted plans to launch a fresh tender but is yet to issue an open call. "If the government decides to launch a bid for a new process, we would certainly consider it and we would likely apply because we are the incumbent carrier. But this is really an issue for the government to come to grips with", Mr Varadi said. A similar three-year subsidy policy was enforced in both 2012 and 2015, with the no frills airline being the sole beneficiary. It resulted in Wizz Air basing four aircraft in the Macedonian capital and launching over a dozen new routes.
Asked whether Wizz will continue to grow its operations out of the country even without state subsidies, Mr Varadi noted, "We would look at the commercial opportunities on a constant basis and if we would find a new route opportunity that is totally justifiable, yes, we would do it on its own merit". The airline's CEO added that the recent launch of two new routes from Pristina (with the third to commence next month) will not hinder its operations from Skopje. "I think we are still trying to learn the [Kosovo] market. We have a limited presence in Pristina", Mr Varadi said. Asked whether the airline could base an aircraft in Pristina, the CEO concluded, "Not at the moment. Maybe at a later stage but at this point in time, no".
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