Wizz Air: Taking climate data to new heights

A company with a clear destination

Wizz Air is a European ultra-low-cost-airline based in Hungary. The company operates 231 Airbus A320 and A321 aircraft, connecting nearly 200 destinations across 55 countries. Whin an average fleet age of 4.7 years, Wizz Air has one of the youngest fleets in Europe. In the financial year of 2025, the airline reported carbon emissions of 52.2 grams per revenue passenger kilometre: the lowest among major European competitors.*

The problem:

An industry with responsibility

Air travel is inherently carbon-intensive, which gives the aviation industry a responsibility for taking climate action. For Wizz Air, reducing emissions while maintaining affordable mobility is a complex challenge.

The company faces several factors beyond its immediate control, such as the limited availability and high costs for sustainable aviation fuels (SAF), the slow pace of new aircraft technologies, and the evolving regulatory frameworks across different markets. As a result, Wizz Air focuses on practical, data-driven measures to reduce emissions today, while preparing for long-term technological advances.

To strengthen the credibility of its climate strategy, Wizz Air sought an experienced partner for reliable emissions data and transparent carbon reporting.

The solution:

Transparency as the foundation for climate action

Accurate data is central to effective carbon data management. Through its collaboration with ClimatePartner, Wizz Air ensures that its carbon calculations are consistent, robust, and aligned with current standards. This enables the airline to monitor emissions more precisely year-to-year and build a solid foundation for its decarbonisation roadmap.

The outcomes:

Concrete measures for reducing emissions

Wizz Air has set a clear goal of reducing its carbon emissions per passenger kilometre by 25% by 2030, from a 2020 baseline.** This target is underpinned by three key pillars that will drive measurable progress across the airline’s operations:

1. Fleet renewal
A key focus is the continuous renewal of the fleet with modern, fuel-efficient aircraft. Compared to the A321ceo, the A321neo achieves lower fuel burn and carbon emissions per seat—reducing fuel consumption by around 10%, with the synergy of new-generation engines and Airbus Sharklet™ wing-tip devices improving per-seat efficiency by up to 20%. By the end of the financial year 2025, 66% of the fleet featured this “neo” technology.

2. Operational efficiency
Efficiency improvements are part of day-to-day operations. Optimised flight planning, lighter components, and fuel-saving procedures such as single-engine taxing and adjusted wing setting during take-off to reduce drag together reduce fuel use by about 2.15% on an ongoing bases. Wizz Air also uses data analysis and AI-supported tools by StokJet to identify further opportunities for real time reductions.

3. Sustainable aviation fuels (SAF)
Large-scale SAF use is still limited, but Wizz Air is supporting its development. The airline has invested in two research and development projects: Firefly in the UK, which develops fuel from sewage sludge, and CleanJoule in the US, focused on scalable SAF technology. In addition, Wizz Air works with suppliers such as OMV, Neste, Mabanaft/P2X, and Cepsa to prepare for future blending mandates and secure long-term access to sustainable fuels.

Progress toward their 2030 target is reviewed annually through carbon/RPK reporting (carbon emissions per passenger kilometre) based on consistent data verified by ClimatePartner.

The future:

Measurable progress and a clear path forward

With a verified carbon footprint in place, Wizz Air recently defined a decarbonisation roadmap using the financial year 2024 as its baseline. ClimatePartner’s carbon accounting provided the foundation for setting this reference year.

The airline tracks its emissions annually and reports progress toward the 2030 reduction target and in 2025, Wizz Air continued to rank among Europe’s most efficient airlines, maintaining its low carbon intensity per passenger kilometre.***

Going forward, the focus lies on expanding the use of SAF as availability increases and further improving operational efficiency via technology and data. Reliable metrics and transparent reporting remain key to reducing the airline’s climate impact and demonstrating measurable progress across the industry.

© Wizz Air

“Our partnership with ClimatePartner has added valuable depth to our greenhouse gas emissions calculations, supporting our ongoing commitment to high-quality climate reporting. Their expertise complements our internal efforts and helps us stay aligned with evolving expectations around transparency and sustainability."

— Zsuzsanna Dimeny, Sustainability Team Manager, Wizz Air Group

* Based on the most recent publicly disclosed emissions intensity data for financial year 2025. Please note that due to variations in reporting periods, the figures and timeframes may not be fully aligned.

** CO₂ emissions intensity is typically measured as the amount of carbon dioxide (CO₂) emitted per unit of transport output. In aviation, the most common metric is CO₂ per Revenue Passenger Kilometre  (CO₂/RPK).

*** Based on the most recent publicly disclosed emissions intensity data for financial year 2025 and industry recognition by Cirium and Airline Economics. Please note that due to variations in reporting periods, the figures and timeframes may not be fully aligned.