Wizz Air looks to delay 100 Airbus aircraft deliveries, Bloomberg News reports

Wizz Air looks to delay 100 Airbus aircraft deliveries, Bloomberg News reports

Wizz Air's Aircraft Delivery Plans

(Reuters) -Hungary-based Wizz Air is in talks to defer about 100 Airbus SE aircraft deliveries into the next decade, Bloomberg News reported on Thursday, citing people familiar with the matter.

Financial Struggles and Engine Issues

The aircraft were originally slated for delivery between now and 2030, the report said.

Statements from Wizz Air Executives

Wizz Air declined to comment. Airbus did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment. Reuters could not immediately verify the report.

Impact on Capacity and Profitability

Wizz has struggled in recent years to compete financially with other European carriers as it grapples with engine-related groundings of its Airbus aircraft.

The low-cost airline missed its first quarter profit estimates in July, due to the groundings. It also stated in its first quarter earnings announcement that it would look to "slow down" its delivery schedule from Airbus with an aim to remove capacity pressure from its fleet.  Its shares have fallen over 20% this year.

Wizz CEO Jozsef Varadi told Reuters in September that the airline was working with engine maker Pratt & Whitney, owned by RTX Corp, to expedite engine servicing, as delays had grounded significant portions of its fleet.

Earlier this month, the company's CFO Ian Malin said the carrier aimed to end engine-related groundings of its Airbus aircraft by the end of 2027, while CEO Varadi said that it was up to Pratt & Whitney to determine the schedule.

The groundings have limited the carrier's ability to increase capacity and it has issued two profit warnings.

(Reporting by Bipasha Dey in Bengaluru, Joanna Plucinska in London and Tim Hepher in Paris; Editing by Mrigank Dhaniwala and Susan Fenton)