Popular budget airline slashes flights from major UK airport in scramble to cut costs

Wizz Air will start moving planes from Gatwick to Luton because running flights from Gatwick has become too expensive, and the airline hasn’t been given good take-off and landing slots there.

The budget airline, which competes with Ryanair and easyJet, will begin by shifting one aircraft between the two airports and says more moves could follow as it looks to place its planes where they make the most money.

"Gatwick is expensive and we have been operating an inferior set of slots there. We think that we can enhance financial performance by operating that capacity from Luton," Mr Váradi told The Telegraph.

The executive emphasised the necessity of adapting to changing market conditions, stating: "Circumstances change and you have to take action. Whichever bases give you the most profitability, you should be biased toward them. That includes moving aircraft over from Gatwick to Luton."

The airline chief highlighted the stark contrast in operational efficiency between the two airports, noting that Wizz Air achieves superior financial results at Luton compared to its Gatwick operations.

The relocation programme will commence with the transfer of a single aircraft from Gatwick to Luton, part of what Mr Váradi characterised as an "ongoing process" to redistribute the carrier's fleet across its network.

Gatwick's operational challenges stem from years of functioning near maximum capacity, which has driven up costs and created barriers for airlines seeking to expand their presence at the airport.

Although a £2.2billion project to transform an emergency landing strip into a fully operational runway promises to double the airport's passenger capacity, this expansion won't reach completion until the 2030s.

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The capacity limitations have particularly affected newer market entrants attempting to establish substantial flight schedules at the West Sussex facility.

Despite the reduction at Gatwick, Mr Váradi clarified that Wizz Air would maintain a presence at the airport rather than withdrawing completely.

"You have to churn your network for profit. We are simply more efficient financially in Luton," the executive explained.

The Gatwick restructuring follows recent decisions to shut down the airline's Abu Dhabi subsidiary, announced in July, and eliminate its Vienna base citing excessive "airport costs and taxes".

These moves form part of a broader strategy to concentrate resources at more profitable locations across the carrier's European network.

The airline currently operates seven aircraft from Gatwick, whilst Luton's fleet will expand to thirteen planes following the initial transfer.