FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 25 November 2016
"We hope that these aircraft will become a symbol of what can happen when you dare to dream: a Games for Budapest is a Games for all mid-sized global cities, across the world…" Balázs Fürjes, Chairman of Budapest 2024
Having joined the growing list of sponsors supporting Budapest’s bid to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2024, Wizz Air today unveiled a striking new livery design that takes the Budapest Olympic Bid into new territory.
The new logo livery will be showcased on A321 aircraft flying on the most popular routes of Wizz Air’s network, and is based on Budapest 2024’s "new vitality" brand.
The new dressing will take Budapest’s message of a new model and era for the Olympic Games in midsized global cities like Budapest to new heights and destinations.
Offering more than 450 routes from 26 bases, connecting 130 destinations across 38 countries, Wizz Air’s conviction in Budapest 2024 will now be shared with its growing passenger community over the coming year.
A key Partner of Budapest 2024, Wizz Air was the preferred choice of around 20 million passengers in the last financial year and was recently named Value Airline of the Year 2016 by Air Transport World, one of the leading airline trade magazines.
Speaking at today’s unveiling, József Váradi, CEO of Wizz Air said: "As an airline with its roots in Hungary, we are proud to contribute today to building and further promoting the Budapest brand internationally. Wizz Air’s aircraft with Budapest 2024 livery design will help create international buzz and inspire people to visit Budapest as we continue to grow capacity and expand our route network."
Váradi was joined by Balázs Fürjes, Chairman of Budapest 2024, who added: "The new airplane featuring the Budapest 2024 design will spread the news of our Hungarian Olympic dream worldwide, in the air and on land. That dream of hosting the Games is as old as the modern Olympic Movement itself and is shared by hundreds of other mid-sized cities like Budapest across the world. We hope that these aircraft will become a symbol of what can happen when you dare to dream: a Games for Budapest is a Games for all mid-sized global cities, across the world."
Emese Szász was invited to share an athlete’s perspective on the 2024 Olympic Bid with the guests and airport community. Szász is an Olympic épée fencer and a gold medal winner who contributed to Hungary’s position in 12th place in world rankings at the recent Olympic Games in Rio.
"As a Hungarian and an athlete, I feel proud to see the Budapest 2024 design on these planes," said Szász. "My sport has taken me to many international locations and I can tell you that an Olympic Games in Budapest would be really special.
"For the fans, a Budapest Games would be an incredible experience, because in addition to sport, Budapest has so much to offer - amazing architecture, sightseeing and gastronomy. The sport festival atmosphere here is something we are famous for, as is the endless enthusiasm of Hungarian fans.
"As a competitor at major sport events, I can vouch that generally speaking it can take a long time to travel between the hotel and the competition venues. On the contrary, in Budapest there would be an average travel time of 12 minutes for athletes to get to their competition venue. So, at a Budapest Games, how much time would be left for everything else? For an athlete, that means more time to train, to prepare and to rest."
Budapest Airport has also been a Key Partner in the Olympic bid since the very beginning, having participated in the compilation of transport material for the bid’s submissions to the International Olympic Committee.
"We are proud to welcome Wizz Air’s new Budapest 2024 livery at our airport, where it will be seen by hundreds and thousands of people from all around the world daily," said Jost Lammers, CEO of Budapest Airport. He added: "Together with Wizz Air and the ten-thousand-strong community of employees at the airport, we will do everything to help the success of Budapest’s Olympic bid to host the 2024 Games."
Budapest Airport has already helped to spread the word of the Budapest 2024 bid via events such as the annual international Runway Run, which this year involved Olympic athletes and Budapest 2024 supporters. Lammers said that the airport is looking forward to hosting many more such events over the course of the next year, and will "lead and coordinate the Olympic-related efforts" of the airport community.
According to Lammers, the "biggest contribution" to Budapest’s Olympic cause is the EUR170m BUD2020 Airport Development Programme. The self-financed development programme that was launched earlier this year is a huge asset to the Olympic bid, adding the benefits of a host of new airport facilities including an additional pier, a new on-site airport hotel and enhanced security features.
The airport expects to greet over 11 million passengers this year, having already passed the 10 million count, with plans for additional airlines and frequency increases already in the pipeline. In 2015, the World Tourism Organisation reported that Hungary had the fastest growing tourism rate in Europe – a phenomenon that doesn’t seem to be showing any signs of letting up, according to data released last week by the Central Statistical Office of Hungary.
At today’s livery reveal, a "Spot the Budapest Plane" competition was launched, calling on all plane lovers to post a photo of the special Budapest 2024 livery aircraft to Instagram with a #WIZZBudapest2024 hashtag. The two best photos will be awarded with special gift packages.
- ENDS –
Budapest 2024
This year’s Sportcal listings recognise Budapest as the rising star of major global sport events, ranking the city seventh among the top global sport cities and second in the Future Sports Cities Index 2017-2023. Named as European Capital of Sport 2019, Budapest is a high-value city, with an excellent transport infrastructure and a long-term sustainable development plan. The Budapest 2024 Olympic Bid proposes a compact and intimate Games footprint in the capital, and a truly nationwide Games that features sport in six other Olympic cities. Budapest 2024 is dedicated to deliver an on-budget and inclusive Olympic and Paralympic Games in one of the top 20 most peaceful countries in the world. Sports-mad Hungary was one of the founding members of the IOC and has participated in the Games since 1896. Hungary is the only country ranked in the top ten of the all-time Olympic Medal table that has not yet hosted the Olympic Games.
Budapest Airport Plc.
Budapest Airport is home to 44 airlines, which transported 10.3 million passengers to 95 airports in 36 countries last year. It recently announced a $182-million airport development programme known as Bud 2020, which includes a new airport hotel, increased check-in desks, enhanced security facilities, a direct rail link to the city centre, a new airplane pier, a multi-level parking facility and the expansion of the passenger plane apron area.
Wizz Air Hungary Ltd.
Wizz Air is the largest low-cost airline in Central and Eastern Europe, operates a fleet of 73 Airbus A320 and Airbus A321 aircraft, and offers more than 450 routes from 26 bases, connecting 130 destinations across 38 countries. At Wizz Air, a team of approximately 2,800 aviation professionals delivers superior service and very low ticket prices making Wizz Air the preferred choice of 20 million passengers in the financial year ended 31 March 2016. Wizz Air is listed on the London Stock Exchange under the ticker WIZZ and is included in the FTSE 250 and FTSE All-Share Indices. Wizz Air is registered under the International Air Transport Association (IATA), Operational Safety Audit (IOSA), the global benchmark in airline safety recognition. The company was recently named 2016 Value Airline of the Year by the editors of Air Transport World, one of the leading airline trade magazines.
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