Wizz Air cuts annual forecast after first-quarter profit slumps 44%
Writes through, updates shares, adds analyst comment and context
By Joanna Plucinska and Yadarisa Shabong
Aug 1 (Reuters) -Wizz Air WIZZ.L lowered its annual profit forecast on Thursday after reporting a 44% drop in its first-quarter operating profit, partly owing to costs related to Pratt & Whitney RTX.N engine troubles and one-off wet leases to bolster capacity.
The shares tumbled 15% by 0802 GMT.
The low-cost airline, which flies an all-Airbus fleet, has faced challenges related to Pratt and Whitney RTX engines, with 46 of its planes set to be grounded for inspections this summer, placing constraints on capacity.
European airlines have faced a difficult first half of the year because of spiralling costs and normalising customer demand after an initial post-pandemic boom. Air France-KLM AIRF.PA, Lufthansa LHAG.DE and Ryanair RYA.I all reported challenging second quarters.
Wizz Air Chief Executive Jozsef Varadi said the airline will have to moderate its expectations.
"Our fares are still improving, but our competitors are dropping theirs and that impacts us," Varadi said.
The budget carrier forecast net income for the year in the range of 350 million euros to 450 million euros ($379 million to $487 million), down from its previous forecast of 500 million euros to 600 million euros.
Operating profit in the company's first quarter to June 30 was 44.6 million euros, against the 144.3 million euro consensus in an LSEG analyst poll.
Analysts pointed to higher than expected costs and warned that the cut in the annual forecast would probably be poorly received by investors.
PLANE DELIVERIES TO BOOST CAPACITY
Wizz Air said demand remained strong and that it still planned substantial capacity growth in coming years, with new Airbus AIR.PA planes boosting its fleet.
The aviation sector has struggled with delays from manufacturers Boeing BA.N and Airbus in the years since the COVID-19 pandemic, with constraints at Boeing compounded by safety concerns.
Airbus warned of further delivery delays in June and said it faced supply chain challenges.
Shares in Europe's airline stocks are broadly down in the Past six months but some have said that a return to a more normal delivery schedules should help.
"We remain on track to return to annual capacity growth in 2026, underpinned by the pipeline of Airbus deliveries," Varadi said in a statement.
He added that issues with Pratt & Whitney engines remained "unpredictable" and wet leases to protect Wizz Air's routes and capacity led to a cost hit this quarter and will spill over into the second quarter.
($1 = 0.9239 euros)
Reporting by Joanna Plucinska and Yadarisa Shabong in Bengaluru
Editing by David Goodman and Sharon Singleton
āĻ¸āĻŽā§āĻĒāĻ°ā§āĻāĻŋāĻ¤ āĻ ā§āĻ¯āĻžāĻ¸ā§āĻ
āĻ¸āĻ°ā§āĻŦāĻļā§āĻˇ āĻāĻŦāĻ°
āĻĻāĻžāĻŦāĻŋāĻ¤ā§āĻ¯āĻžāĻ: XM Group āĻāĻ° āĻ¸āĻ¤ā§āĻ¤ā§āĻŦāĻžāĻā§āĻ˛ā§ āĻļā§āĻ§ā§āĻŽāĻžāĻ¤ā§āĻ° āĻāĻžāĻ°ā§āĻ¯āĻāĻ° āĻ¸ā§āĻŦāĻž āĻĒā§āĻ°āĻĻāĻžāĻ¨ āĻāĻ°ā§ āĻāĻŦāĻ āĻāĻŽāĻžāĻĻā§āĻ° āĻ āĻ¨āĻ˛āĻžāĻāĻ¨ āĻā§āĻ°ā§āĻĄāĻŋāĻ āĻ¸ā§āĻŦāĻŋāĻ§āĻž āĻā§āĻ˛ā§ āĻāĻĒāĻā§āĻ āĻāĻ°āĻ¤ā§ āĻĻā§ā§, āĻ¸ā§āĻāĻ¸āĻžāĻĨā§ āĻāĻāĻāĻ¨ āĻŦā§āĻ¯āĻā§āĻ¤āĻŋāĻā§ āĻāĻ¯āĻŧā§āĻŦāĻ¸āĻžāĻāĻā§ āĻŦāĻž āĻāĻ° āĻŽāĻžāĻ§ā§āĻ¯āĻŽā§ āĻāĻĒāĻ˛āĻŦā§āĻ§ āĻŦāĻŋāĻˇāĻ¯āĻŧāĻŦāĻ¸ā§āĻ¤ā§ āĻĻā§āĻāĻ¤ā§ āĻāĻŦāĻ/āĻ āĻĨāĻŦāĻž āĻŦā§āĻ¯āĻŦāĻšāĻžāĻ° āĻāĻ°āĻžāĻ° āĻ āĻ¨ā§āĻŽāĻ¤āĻŋ āĻĻā§ā§ āĻ¤āĻŦā§ āĻāĻāĻŋ āĻā§āĻ¨ āĻĒāĻ°āĻŋāĻŦāĻ°ā§āĻ¤āĻ¨ āĻŦāĻž āĻĒā§āĻ°āĻ¸āĻžāĻ°āĻŋāĻ¤ āĻāĻ°āĻžāĻ° āĻāĻĻā§āĻĻā§āĻļā§āĻ¯ā§ āĻ¨āĻ¯āĻŧ āĻŦāĻž āĻāĻŽāĻ¨ āĻā§āĻ¨ āĻāĻžāĻ°āĻŖā§āĻ āĻ¨āĻ¯āĻŧāĨ¤ āĻāĻ āĻ§āĻ°āĻ¨ā§āĻ° āĻĒā§āĻ°āĻŦā§āĻļ āĻāĻŦāĻ āĻŦā§āĻ¯āĻŦāĻšāĻžāĻ° āĻ¸āĻŦāĻ¸āĻŽāĻ¯āĻŧ āĻāĻŋāĻā§ āĻŦāĻŋāĻˇā§ā§āĻ° āĻ¸āĻžāĻĨā§ āĻā§āĻŋāĻ¤: (i) āĻļāĻ°ā§āĻ¤āĻžāĻŦāĻ˛ā§; (ii) āĻā§āĻāĻāĻŋ āĻ¸āĻ¤āĻ°ā§āĻāĻ¤āĻž; āĻāĻŦāĻ (iii) āĻ¸āĻŽā§āĻĒā§āĻ°ā§āĻŖ āĻĻāĻžāĻŦāĻŋāĻ¤ā§āĻ¯āĻžāĻāĨ¤ āĻāĻ āĻ§āĻ°āĻ¨ā§āĻ° āĻŦāĻŋāĻˇāĻ¯āĻŧāĻŦāĻ¸ā§āĻ¤ā§ āĻ¤āĻžāĻ āĻ¸āĻžāĻ§āĻžāĻ°āĻŖ āĻ¤āĻĨā§āĻ¯ āĻšāĻŋāĻ¸ā§āĻŦā§ āĻāĻžāĻĄāĻŧāĻž āĻāĻ° āĻ āĻ¨ā§āĻ¯ āĻā§āĻ¨ āĻāĻĻā§āĻĻā§āĻļā§āĻ¯ā§ āĻĒā§āĻ°āĻĻāĻžāĻ¨ āĻāĻ°āĻž āĻšāĻ¯āĻŧ āĻ¨āĻžāĨ¤ āĻ āĻ¨ā§āĻā§āĻ°āĻš āĻāĻ°ā§ āĻŦāĻŋāĻļā§āĻˇāĻāĻžāĻŦā§ āĻ¸āĻā§āĻ¤āĻ¨ āĻĨāĻžāĻā§āĻ¨ āĻ¯ā§, āĻāĻŽāĻžāĻĻā§āĻ° āĻ āĻ¨āĻ˛āĻžāĻāĻ¨ āĻā§āĻ°ā§āĻĄāĻŋāĻ āĻ¸ā§āĻŦāĻŋāĻ§āĻžāĻ° āĻŦāĻŋāĻˇāĻ¯āĻŧāĻŦāĻ¸ā§āĻ¤ā§āĻā§ā§āĻ˛ā§ āĻāĻ°ā§āĻĨāĻŋāĻ āĻŦāĻžāĻāĻžāĻ°ā§ āĻā§āĻ¨ā§ āĻ˛ā§āĻ¨āĻĻā§āĻ¨ āĻāĻ°āĻžāĻ° āĻāĻ¨ā§āĻ¯ āĻ āĻ¨ā§āĻ°ā§āĻ§ āĻŦāĻž āĻĒā§āĻ°āĻ¸ā§āĻ¤āĻžāĻŦ āĻ¨āĻ¯āĻŧāĨ¤ āĻāĻžāĻ°āĻŖ āĻ¯ā§āĻā§āĻ¨ā§ āĻāĻ°ā§āĻĨāĻŋāĻ āĻŦāĻžāĻāĻžāĻ°ā§ āĻā§āĻ°ā§āĻĄāĻŋāĻ āĻāĻ°āĻ˛ā§ āĻāĻĒāĻ¨āĻžāĻ° āĻŽā§āĻ˛āĻ§āĻ¨ā§āĻ° āĻ¸āĻžāĻĨā§ āĻāĻāĻāĻŋ āĻāĻ˛ā§āĻ˛ā§āĻāĻ¯ā§āĻā§āĻ¯ āĻā§āĻāĻāĻŋ āĻāĻĄāĻŧāĻŋāĻ¤ āĻĨāĻžāĻāĻŦā§āĨ¤
āĻāĻŽāĻžāĻĻā§āĻ° āĻ āĻ¨āĻ˛āĻžāĻāĻ¨ āĻā§āĻ°ā§āĻĄāĻŋāĻ āĻ¸ā§āĻŦāĻŋāĻ§āĻžāĻ¯āĻŧ āĻĒā§āĻ°āĻāĻžāĻļāĻŋāĻ¤ āĻ¸āĻāĻ˛ āĻŦāĻŋāĻˇā§āĻŦāĻ¸ā§āĻ¤ā§ āĻļā§āĻ§ā§āĻŽāĻžāĻ¤ā§āĻ° āĻļāĻŋāĻā§āĻˇāĻžāĻāĻ¤/āĻ¤āĻĨā§āĻ¯āĻŽā§āĻ˛āĻ āĻāĻĻā§āĻĻā§āĻļā§āĻ¯ā§ āĻ¤ā§āĻ°āĻŋ āĻāĻ°āĻž āĻšāĻ¯āĻŧā§āĻ āĻāĻŦāĻ āĻāĻ¤ā§ āĻāĻ°ā§āĻĨāĻŋāĻ, āĻŦāĻŋāĻ¨āĻŋāĻ¯āĻŧā§āĻ āĻāĻ° āĻŦāĻž āĻā§āĻ°ā§āĻĄāĻŋāĻ āĻĒāĻ°āĻžāĻŽāĻ°ā§āĻļ āĻāĻŦāĻ āĻ¸ā§āĻĒāĻžāĻ°āĻŋāĻļ āĻ§āĻžāĻ°āĻŖ āĻāĻ°āĻž āĻāĻāĻŋāĻ¤ āĻ¨āĻ¯āĻŧ - āĻāĻŽāĻžāĻĻā§āĻ° āĻā§āĻ°ā§āĻĄāĻŋāĻ āĻŽā§āĻ˛ā§āĻ¯ā§āĻ° āĻāĻāĻāĻŋ āĻ°ā§āĻāĻ°ā§āĻĄ; āĻ āĻĨāĻŦāĻž āĻā§āĻ¨ā§ āĻāĻ°ā§āĻĨāĻŋāĻ āĻāĻĒāĻāĻ°āĻŖā§ āĻ˛ā§āĻ¨āĻĻā§āĻ¨ā§āĻ° āĻĒā§āĻ°āĻ¸ā§āĻ¤āĻžāĻŦ, āĻŦāĻž āĻ āĻ¨ā§āĻ°ā§āĻ§; āĻ āĻĨāĻŦāĻž āĻāĻĒāĻ¨āĻžāĻ° āĻāĻžāĻā§ āĻ āĻ¯āĻžāĻāĻŋāĻ¤ āĻāĻ°ā§āĻĨāĻŋāĻ āĻĒā§āĻ°āĻāĻžāĻ° āĻšāĻŋāĻ¸ā§āĻŦā§ āĻāĻāĻŋāĻā§ āĻ§āĻžāĻ°āĻŖ āĻāĻ°āĻž āĻāĻāĻŋāĻ¤ āĻ¨āĻ¯āĻŧāĨ¤
āĻā§āĻ¨ āĻ¤ā§āĻ¤ā§āĻ¯āĻŧ āĻĒāĻā§āĻˇā§āĻ° āĻŦāĻŋāĻˇā§āĻŦāĻ¸ā§āĻ¤ā§, āĻĒāĻžāĻļāĻžāĻĒāĻžāĻļāĻŋ XM āĻĻā§āĻŦāĻžāĻ°āĻž āĻĒā§āĻ°āĻ¸ā§āĻ¤ā§āĻ¤ āĻŦāĻŋāĻˇā§ āĻŦāĻ¸ā§āĻ¤ā§ āĻ¯ā§āĻŽāĻ¨ āĻŽāĻ¤āĻžāĻŽāĻ¤, āĻ¸āĻāĻŦāĻžāĻĻ, āĻāĻŦā§āĻˇāĻŖāĻž, āĻŦāĻŋāĻļā§āĻ˛ā§āĻˇāĻŖ, āĻĻāĻžāĻŽ, āĻ āĻ¨ā§āĻ¯āĻžāĻ¨ā§āĻ¯ āĻ¤āĻĨā§āĻ¯ āĻŦāĻž āĻāĻ āĻāĻ¯āĻŧā§āĻŦāĻ¸āĻžāĻāĻā§ āĻĨāĻžāĻāĻž āĻ¤ā§āĻ¤ā§āĻ¯āĻŧ āĻĒāĻā§āĻˇā§āĻ° āĻ¸āĻžāĻāĻā§āĻ° āĻ˛āĻŋāĻāĻ āĻā§āĻ˛ā§ "āĻ¯ā§āĻŽāĻ¨-āĻ°āĻ¯āĻŧā§āĻā§" āĻāĻŋāĻ¤ā§āĻ¤āĻŋāĻ¤ā§ āĻ¸āĻ°āĻŦāĻ°āĻžāĻš āĻāĻ°āĻž āĻšāĻ¯āĻŧ āĻ¸āĻžāĻ§āĻžāĻ°āĻŖ āĻŽāĻžāĻ°ā§āĻā§āĻā§āĻ° āĻāĻžāĻˇā§āĻ¯ āĻšāĻŋāĻ¸ā§āĻŦā§ āĻāĻŦāĻ āĻŦāĻŋāĻ¨āĻŋāĻ¯āĻŧā§āĻā§āĻ° āĻĒāĻ°āĻžāĻŽāĻ°ā§āĻļ āĻāĻ āĻ¨ āĻāĻ°āĻŦā§āĻ¨ āĻ¨āĻžāĨ¤ āĻ¯ā§āĻā§āĻ¨ā§ āĻŦāĻŋāĻˇāĻ¯āĻŧāĻŦāĻ¸ā§āĻ¤ā§āĻā§ āĻŦāĻŋāĻ¨āĻŋāĻ¯āĻŧā§āĻ āĻāĻŦā§āĻˇāĻŖāĻž āĻšāĻŋāĻ¸ā§āĻŦā§ āĻŦā§āĻāĻžāĻ¨ā§ āĻšāĻ˛ā§, āĻāĻĒāĻ¨āĻžāĻā§ āĻ āĻŦāĻļā§āĻ¯āĻ āĻŽāĻ¨ā§ āĻ°āĻžāĻāĻ¤ā§ āĻšāĻŦā§ āĻāĻŦāĻ āĻ¸ā§āĻŦā§āĻāĻžāĻ° āĻāĻ°āĻ¤ā§ āĻšāĻŦā§ āĻ¯ā§ āĻŦāĻŋāĻˇāĻ¯āĻŧāĻŦāĻ¸ā§āĻ¤ā§āĻāĻŋ āĻŦāĻŋāĻ¨āĻŋāĻ¯āĻŧā§āĻ āĻāĻŦā§āĻˇāĻŖāĻžāĻ° āĻ¸ā§āĻŦāĻžāĻ§ā§āĻ¨āĻ¤āĻžāĻ° āĻĒā§āĻ°āĻāĻžāĻ°ā§āĻ° āĻāĻ¨ā§āĻ¯ āĻĄāĻŋāĻāĻžāĻāĻ¨ āĻāĻ°āĻž āĻāĻāĻ¨āĻŋ āĻĒā§āĻ°āĻ¯āĻŧā§āĻāĻ¨ā§āĻ¯āĻŧāĻ¤āĻž āĻ āĻ¨ā§āĻ¸āĻžāĻ°ā§ āĻ¤ā§āĻ°āĻŋ āĻāĻ°āĻž āĻšāĻ¯āĻŧāĻ¨āĻŋ āĻāĻŦāĻ āĻāĻāĻŋ āĻŦāĻŋāĻŦā§āĻāĻ¨āĻž āĻāĻ°āĻž āĻšāĻŦā§ āĻ¨āĻž āĻĒā§āĻ°āĻžāĻ¸āĻā§āĻāĻŋāĻ āĻāĻāĻ¨ āĻ āĻĒā§āĻ°āĻŦāĻŋāĻ§āĻžāĻ¨ā§āĻ° āĻ āĻ§ā§āĻ¨ā§ āĻŦāĻŋāĻĒāĻŖāĻ¨ āĻ¯ā§āĻāĻžāĻ¯ā§āĻ āĻšāĻŋāĻ¸ā§āĻŦā§āĨ¤ āĻ āĻ¨ā§āĻā§āĻ°āĻš āĻāĻ°ā§ āĻ¨āĻŋāĻļā§āĻāĻŋāĻ¤ āĻāĻ°ā§āĻ¨ āĻ¯ā§ āĻāĻĒāĻ¨āĻŋ āĻ -āĻ¸ā§āĻŦāĻžāĻ§ā§āĻ¨ āĻŦāĻŋāĻ¨āĻŋāĻ¯āĻŧā§āĻ āĻ¸āĻāĻā§āĻ°āĻžāĻ¨ā§āĻ¤ āĻāĻŽāĻžāĻĻā§āĻ° āĻŦāĻŋāĻā§āĻāĻĒā§āĻ¤āĻŋ āĻĒāĻĄāĻŧā§āĻā§āĻ¨ āĻāĻŦāĻ āĻŦā§āĻā§āĻā§āĻ¨āĨ¤ āĻĒā§āĻ°ā§āĻŦā§āĻā§āĻ¤ āĻ¤āĻĨā§āĻ¯ āĻ¸āĻŽā§āĻĒāĻ°ā§āĻāĻŋāĻ¤ āĻāĻŦā§āĻˇāĻŖāĻž āĻāĻŦāĻ āĻā§āĻāĻāĻŋ āĻ¸āĻ¤āĻ°ā§āĻāĻ¤āĻž, āĻ¯āĻž āĻāĻāĻžāĻ¨ āĻĨā§āĻā§ āĻĒā§āĻ°āĻŦā§āĻļ āĻāĻ°āĻž āĻ¯ā§āĻ¤ā§ āĻĒāĻžāĻ°ā§āĨ¤