Michael Delehant, Senior VP of Commercial and Operations at Wizz Air. Photo: Amit Cotler "Israel has always been a particularly important and even critical part of our route network. As you can see, we have tried to fly as much as possible to Israel in recent times and have remained committed to the Israeli market as much as possible despite the environmental challenges."
This is how Michael Delehant, Senior Vice President of Commercial and Operations at Wizz Air, would like to begin his remarks in an exclusive interview with PassportNews, with the background of the company's expected establishment of a base at Ben Gurion Airport.
PassportNews: In Israel, there are already reports of critical meetings leading up to the establishment of the base at Ben Gurion Airport.
"At this point, there are no final plans, but we continue to discuss this possibility. It is not a simple process, in terms of regulations and laws, when it comes to establishing a base. We greatly appreciate the cooperation from the Israeli authorities and the Israeli government."
PassportNews: So it's not a fait accompli.
"No, no, we're not at that stage yet."
PassportNews: In the months since Wizz began discussing with the Israeli authorities, there have been many claims, including from the CEOs of Israeli airlines, that establishing such a base at Ben Gurion Airport would eliminate Israeli aviation. Certain sources also claimed that the company intends to replace workers in Israel with foreign workers and not use the local workforce.
Wizz Air aircraft. Photo: Wizz Air
"That's never our intention when we open a base. Our goal is to increase traffic responsibly. There are countless passengers who want to fly to and from Israel, and there aren't enough planes to do it. But when you establish a base, any base, you have to bring people to work there because you need different levels of expertise. You can't hire people off the street, that doesn't happen anywhere. We are a very diverse company, and we are proud of that, also in terms of the citizenships of our employees."
PassportNews: And what about the claim that they trampled on Israeli aviation?
"We are not here to eliminate Israeli companies, and the industry in general. That is not what we are doing. We are just trying to produce the seat occupancy that the state would like to see, and at rates that Israelis appreciate. The numbers speak for themselves."
PassportNews: Establishing a base at Ben Gurion Airport is not an obvious step for the company, which usually opens bases at particularly cheap airports (Bratislava in Slovakia last summer, secondary airports in Poland, and on the other hand, the closure of the base in Vienna, which has become expensive to operate).
Michael Delahunt in an interview with PassportNews (Photo: Amit Kotler)
"It's definitely a consideration, and there's been a lot of reporting on how well the base is progressing in Israel, so this is an example of a consideration that was discussed among many other considerations. The Israeli authorities have always had an open dialogue with us, and we've had an open conversation about what makes sense and what can be done about this. We want to be a responsible player in the aviation industry, and in a way that works for us and for Israel. As for competition, we don't focus on what others are doing but on what we are doing, mainly offering low prices. We're always looking for ways to do that. But yes, it makes sense for it to happen, when the time comes, and we'll announce it when the time comes. In the meantime, we really appreciate the partnership and the interest from Israel. We continue to add flights. Whether a base is established or not, our commitment to Israel has proven itself. We'll see what happens with the base."
PassportNews: Were you able to communicate with the authorities in Israel, where did your competitors from Ryanair fail when they decided to leave Israel by the summer of 2026?
"There are tactics in negotiations. Some players conduct their negotiations publicly. I think we have always prided ourselves on a healthy dialogue with the authorities, which leads to results that suit both the airport and Wizz. We believe that Win-Win is the best solution at the end of the day, because it is a solution that also lasts. Losses? In the end, everyone loses. For us, the relative persistence in Israel was important, the loyalty of Israeli passengers speaks for itself, which is why we also continue to add more flights. We have learned a lot in the last two years about the situation in Israel, in order to preserve Israel's connection to the world."
PassportNews: As part of the interview day held by senior Wizz Air media executives in London on the occasion of the launch of the "Customer First" program to improve the company's customer experience, a number of dramatic announcements were made, including the consideration of a business class and the introduction of internet on flights. When will we see these innovations on the lines to and from Israel?
"We are currently conducting tests to see if Wizz Class is something we would like to introduce to our flights. Many airlines in Europe operate such business classes, and we want to see if it is right for us. We need to test the combination between a low-cost company and business class. Time will tell. If it works, Israel will certainly be a market in which we would like to operate the class. There is no doubt about that. Regarding the Internet, the answer is similar. We will check if it is economically suitable for us, and Israel will be a great market for it."
PassportNews: You know that we, Israelis, cannot disconnect from our mobile devices. This is huge news for us.
"As an American, I can completely understand that. It's just like that in the United States. We try to respond to the demands of our customers. So as long as we can produce a good product, which will still be a low-cost product, we will do that."