Update: Wizz Air makes clarifications! ANPC fined Wizz Air 60.000 lei for delayed flights from 2023!

Update October 6, 2023: Wizz Air's statement regarding the controls carried out by the authorities in Romania-"We are aware of this situation and are sorry that some requests have taken longer than usual to resolve. We cooperate with the authorities and make efforts to respond as quickly as possible to outstanding requests. At this moment we have already successfully responded to more than 95% of the hundreds of requests received through the authorities, and we are working at the same time to resolve the remaining ones, as well as those that we continue to receive. At the same time, we make every effort to constantly inform our Romanian passengers about any evolution of their requests."

Original news: The National Authority for Consumer Protection (ANPC) fined Wizz Air 60.000 lei, after investigating the situation of canceled flights in 2023. ANPC started an investigation, but encountered several obstacles, as the airline operates through two companies , one registered in Malta and another in Hungary.

The events that led to the current situation, as well as their course, were (via profit.ro):

• due to disruptions in the schedule of Wizz Air flights - operated by several companies: Wizz Air Hungary Ltd., Wizz Air Malta Limited and Wizz Air UK Ltd. - which led to the cancellation of some of the scheduled flights or delays of more than three hours of passengers arriving at their destination (the situation starting from which they can benefit from compensation from the air operator), ANPC received a series of complaints from affected consumers;

• this situation determined the initiation of actions aimed at establishing communication with the air operator and determining the resolution of complaints;

• as a result of the checks carried out, in accordance with the provisions of the law, ANPC commissioners found that, in March 2023, two branches of the air operator were registered with the Romanian Trade Registry, respectively:

• parent company Wizz Air Malta Limited opened the Wizz Air Malta Limited Valletta branch - Otopeni Branch, with the main field of activity: Air passenger transport, with its registered office in Romania - Henri Coandă International Airport, Terminal Plecări I,

• the parent company Wizz Air Hungary Ltd. opened the branch Wizz Air Hungary Ltd. Budapest Otopeni Branch, with the main field of activity: Air passenger transport, with its registered office in Romania - Henri Coandă International Airport, Terminal Plecări I.

ANPC has the right to control only the companies that are based in Romania

According to the regulations in force, ANPC has the right to control only the companies that are based in Romania and that carry out in our country the activity verified by the institution. But, according to the provisions of Regulation (EC) no. 261/2004, ANPC can collaborate, in such situations, with similar institutions, with control rights from each country of the European Union, mentioned in the European normative act.

Thus, in mid-July 2023, ANPC invited the representatives of similar forums in the member states to an online workshop to discuss the impact of air disruptions on consumers in each country, as well as how to manage and resolve complaints from them. Following this meeting, in which the real picture of the impact of the Wizz Air Group flight disruptions took shape much better, it was established to keep the connection between the representatives of the relevant authorities in the EU, in order to be able to monitor the evolution of the whole situation, at the European level.

The detailed investigation can be read on profit.ro