Natl aviation office clears Wizz Air as EU majority-owned

Transport

The Aviation Office of the National Transport Authority has established that low-fare airline Wizz Air is still majority owned by European Union citizens therefore fully complies with the ownership and regulatory requirements on European airlines, Wizz Air told MTI on Wednesday.

"The office' statement counters earlier false claims about Wizz Air's ownership structure", the airline said.

In February, Deputy CEO of peer Ryanair Michael Cawley said that Wizz Air's ultimate owner is a non-EU citizen, therefore the airline has unlawfully gained from rules effective to airlines majority-owned by EU citizens. Wizz Air dismissed Ryanair's claim at the time, saying that the European Commission found the airline's ownership structure was corresponding to EU law in 2010 and the structure has not changed since, with 96pc of the company still owned by EU citizens.

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