Wizz Air, EMEA's most environmentally sustainable airline, today launched its comprehensive net zero roadmap – Flying Towards Net Zero. The roadmap offers a realistic path focused on the three F’s – flights (30% emissions reductions from new aircraft technology and fleet renewal), fuel (53% emissions reductions from SAF) and footprint (4% emissions reductions from air traffic management modernisation). 

The Company, as part of its recently announced Customer First Compass initiative, has invested €14 billion to enhance its operations, including investments in the latest technology aircraft and SAF production. This response demonstrates its commitment to Flying Towards Net Zero so that aviation can continue to play a central role in Europe’s connectivity and economic growth. 

This manifesto for change comes at a critical juncture for the aviation industry, as efforts to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 are sliding off course, and the competitiveness of European aviation faces headwinds due to rising costs from regulatory compliance. Climate change continues to pose significant business and financial risks. Therefore, the commitment to addressing these challenges is not just an environmental imperative for the Company, but also a strategic necessity for long-term sustainability, competitiveness and resilience for the European aviation sector.

Flying Towards Net Zero reflects the long-term climate goals set by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) aspiring to achieve net zero carbon emissions from international aviation by 2050. However, this aspiration is heavily reliant on the industrialization of technology, which has not occurred to date. Wizz Air’s plan addresses these realities head-on.

The plan is anchored by five fundamental pillars that support the airline’s roadmap:

• 53% decarbonisation through the increased use of SAF

• 21% decarbonisation through technological advancements in aircraft and engine technology.

• 7% decarbonisation through fleet renewal

• 4% decarbonisation through air traffic reform

• 2% decarbonisation through operational efficiencies

Compared to competitors, the airline has put greater emphasis on SAF and new aircraft technologies as critical decarbonisation levers, rather than unproven technologies and offsetting.

Flights - Aviation Innovation Must Move Faster

Wizz Air has the lowest emissions intensity per passenger kilometre of any airline globally, and a target to reduction emissions by 25% by 2030. Wizz Air also operates the youngest, most fuel-efficient fleet in Europe. This is as a result of investing in the best-in-class technology aircraft (Airbus A321neo). We are investing in innovation as part of our Customer First Compass, and a significant part of our plan is attributed to new aircraft technology and fleet renewal. To enable these decarbonisation levers the future of aviation depends on radical innovation. We need to ensure that aircraft are ready for SAF blends above its current regulatory maximum blend rate. 

Fuel – SAF Must Scale Now

SAF is the cornerstone of the Wizz Air’s net zero roadmap and the biggest lever for decarbonisation. The Company has invested in the production of SAF, putting equity into new technology pathways and securing offtake agreements. Yet SAF production today is limited, and prices are uncompetitive for a low-cost business model. Governments must take action to scale SAF production by ensuring a long-term policy framework, such as the Sustainable Transport Investment Plan, that drives SAF adoption and by introducing incentives that close the price gap between SAF and conventional jet fuel.

Footprint - Implementing Infrastructure Reform 

Air traffic inefficiencies add millions of tonnes of unnecessary emissions each year. Airspace modernisation must be prioritized immediately. Airlines are expected to decarbonise, yet infrastructure delays and outdated regulatory systems are holding the industry back. European airspace reform is long overdue. Wizz Air is already playing its part by using AI technology to improve operational efficiency. However, other actors must play their part.

“Wizz Air supports an ambitious vision for net zero, but the truth is that the current pace of change is not enough, and without radical intervention, aviation will fail to meet its commitments. 

Achieving a net zero roadmap is fraught with uncertainties. The most significant challenges extend beyond scientific issues and encompass policy decisions, investment strategies, market dynamics, and the timely implementation of essential measures. Scientific advancements also encounter obstacles related to cost, infrastructure, and regulatory approval. 

We need action, not just ambition. That’s why we’re calling on governments, regulators, and the fuel industry to wake up to the reality of aviation’s transition and start delivering the changes that will make net zero possible. Aviation needs a policy and investment revolution to shape the industry’s path.

Flights. Fuel. Footprint. This is our commitment. This is our journey. This is how we fly towards net zero”.