The CEO of Wizz Air, one of Europe’s fastest growing ultra low cost carriers, made some very controversial comments this week…
Wizz Air CEO’s comments on pilot fatigue
Wizz Air CEO József Váradi is making headlines for his comments on pilot fatigue. Váradi takes issue with how many Wizz Air pilots have been calling in sick due to fatigue, and is saying a business can’t be run this way. He even went so far as to say we’re all fatigued and still need to work, so pilots should as well. Here’s what he said:
“I understand that fatigue is a potential outcome of the issues, but once we are starting stabilizing the rosters we also need to take down the fatigue rate. I mean, we cannot run this business when every fifth person of a base reports sickness because the person is fatigued. We are all fatigued, but sometimes it is required to take the extra mile. The damage is huge when we are canceling a flight.”
The issues with these comments
Aviation is the safest mode of transportation in the world, and that largely comes down to the simple fact that the industry as a whole is never willing to compromise on safety. From low cost carriers to full service airlines, you’ll almost never hear an airline executive say “yeah, well safety is important, but…” It just doesn’t happen, and for good reason.
So Váradi’s comments are surprising, because these are comments you almost never hear from an airline executive. A few thoughts:
- It’s totally tone deaf to say “we are all fatigued,” because when most of us go to work every day, we don’t have hundreds of lives directly in our hands; a countless number of airline accidents over the year can be attributed to fatigue
- If every fifth Wizz Air pilot is calling in sick due to fatigue (as the CEO suggests), maybe the problem isn’t the pilots, but rather the airline, and it’s time to change rosters, flying hours, etc.
- I think it’s worth remembering that in 2021, Wizz Air’s CEO was granted up to £100m in shares if he can nearly triple Wizz Air’s stock price over the course of five years
It’s pretty clear Váradi’s concern is with earning his bonus by greatly increasing Wizz Air’s stock price, rather than him being worried about the survival of the company. Wizz Air pilots aren’t exactly the best paid in Europe, so I’m firmly in the camp of thinking this is Váradi’s problem, and not the problem of pilots.
Bottom line
Wizz Air’s CEO isn’t happy with how many pilots are calling in fatigued, so he’s suggesting that pilots should just show up to work anyway, because we’re all fatigued. That’s problematic logic, especially given how many airline accidents in the past have been caused by fatigue. I guess Váradi really wants his £100m bonus…
What do you make of the comments of Wizz Air’s CEO?
(Tip of the hat to View from the Wing)
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