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WAU-1-AKOS BUS - 2013-03
WAU-1-AKOS BUS - AMY HANNA
JYZSEF VARADI, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER (CEO).
AKOS BUS, DIRECTOR GENERAL.
October 2013: "30-Second Interview" by anna.aero's Amy Hanna.
Being the new kid on the block is always tough, but when this is coupled with a more restrictive operating environment than you are used to (dealing with bilaterals, rather than the freedoms you are used to in the (EU)), then it is even harder. Add in poor economic conditions and you have a clear impression of what Akos Bus, Director General for Wizz Air Ukraine (WAU) has to deal with on a daily basis since the (ULCC) set-up camp in Kiev in 2008. But the market conditions are beginning to improve, and the Ukrainian authorities seem to have realised that this upstart is not going to go away and it may as well work with it (so anna.aero finds out what’s next on the agenda for Akos Bus).
anna.aero: Wizz Air Ukraine (WAU) currently has four airplanes (including the additional unit introduced for the Donetsk base opening in October). There were plans to expand the fleet to eight in the next couple of years. Is this still the aim?
Akos Bus: When we started life here in Ukraine in 2008, we definitely planned to have a more aggressive growth path, but the timing of our start-up was at one of the worst times ever because it was just before the local currency (hryvnia) collapsed, and when the recession started all through Europe. So we didn’t grow at the level we expected. Since 2012, we decided to grow because we saw some positive signs both on the regulatory side and in terms of market demand. So that’s why we are adding one airplane to our Kiev base [up to three] in 2013, as well as adding a fourth airplanet, based in Donetsk as of October 1st. And regarding future growth, we are trying to get back to our original plan, so we are presently focusing on analysing the situation to see how we can add further airplanes.
aa: Where will the focus of this growth be?
AB: The focus is on Kiev. Everyone knows it is congested and there are two airports in the city, but it’s the strongest market in Ukraine. But our growth is also defined by regulatory matters, as Ukraine is not really a liberalized market, so each and every route needs a so-called ‘designation’ based on the bilateral agreements between the two countries. Of course, it’s more difficult to get route designations out of Kiev, so this is why we opened up our Donetsk base, as we could achieve some good designation from there.
aa: And speaking of liberalization, how are bilateral talks progressing on gaining access to Russia from Ukraine?
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