Going west: Wizz Air applies for US cargo licence
Low-cost carrier Wizz Air is reportedly planning an expansions towards west, as it has applied for a transatlantic licence.
The Budapest-based airline has applied to the US Government for an “initial foreign air carrier permit” to carry out cargo operations between Hungary and Washington. The news comes as the company’s chief executive Jozsef Varadi is targeting a £100m bonus.
A Wizz Air spokesperson confirmed the news, which was initially reported by the Telegraph yesterday, and said: “Wizz Air confirms that is has filed a request for a foreign air carrier permit in the US for the A330 freighter aircraft owned by the Hungarian Government and operated by the airline. The purpose of this request is to secure any possible future commercial cargo operations to and from the United States.”
Wizz Air’s application is expected to stoke fears among UK rival airlines such as British Airways and Virgin Atlantic, while US carriers have said Wizz’s application left out “fundamental data”, including frequency of operations and destinations.
The company made the headlines last week when AkademikerPension, a Danish pension fund and one of the airline’s backers, decided to divest $3m over human and labour rights abuse concerns, Morning Wire reported.
“The management’s behaviour conflicts with human and labour rights as outlined by, among others, the UN guiding principles on business and human rights,” said the fund’s chief executive Jens Munch Holst. “The risk of being linked to a clear and persistent breach of our responsible investment policy is simply too high if we remain invested.”