Wizz Air reports first-quarter operating loss on fuel costs, weak fares

Wizz Air reported a first-quarter operating loss of €183.3 million as soaring fuel costs and weak fares weighed on earnings, according to Reuters on Thursday. The budget airline pointed to continued growth plans for the second quarter, guiding for available seat kilometre capacity growth of around 20% year-on-year and seats up by high-twenties percent. However, it continued to withhold full-year earnings guidance. The results mirrored pressures flagged by rival Ryanair, whose profit slumped by a third last month, and highlighted an increasingly uneven picture in European aviation, where full-service flag carriers appear more resilient amid the Iran-war-linked conditions.