Latest news with #Wizz
Daily Record
a day ago
- Politics
- Daily Record
Livingston MP calls for chat platform that's a 'magnet for predators' to be banned
Gregor Poynton's remarks came as new Online Safety Codes were introduced Livingston's MP has called for the banning of an online chat platform for young people which he claims is failing to keep users safe from online predators. Gregor Poynton, who is Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Children's Online Safety, called for the Wizz app to be banned in the UK following mounting evidence that it is being used by predators to groom and exploit children. At least two UK child sexual abuse cases have been linked to the platform. His remarks came following an investigation by London-based talk radio station LBC. A 22-year-old reporter was able to bypass age verification on the app and pose as a teenager to access profiles of children as young as 14, and exposed how the app was failing to keep young users safe. The Wizz app, marketed as a teen social platform, claims to restrict interactions to users of similar ages and use facial recognition tools for verification. However, the investigation revealed that these safeguards can be easily bypassed. Gregor Poynton MP said: 'Wizz is clearly a magnet for predators, a place where abuse is already happening. 'It's not enough to tweak the technology or add disclaimers. There is no legitimate purpose for an app like this. It should be banned.' The Livingston constituency MP's comments came on the day landmark protections for children online come into force under new Ofcom-enforced rules introduced by the Labour UK Government. 'Our lives are no longer split between the online and offline world – and the harm done online can be just as devastating,' he said. 'We've now got some of the toughest laws anywhere in the world to protect kids online. But enforcement has to match ambition – and when apps like this fail to act, they should be banned.' Mr Poynton told LBC that the protections Wizz has in place are, 'not worth the paper they're written on.' He also raised broader concerns about the rise of apps with no social value but huge potential for harm, referencing so-called 'nudification' apps used in sextortion scams. He added: 'These apps serve no positive purpose. They don't enrich lives – they endanger them. Enough is enough.' The new Online Safety Codes require platforms to: Introduce robust age checks to block access to pornography, self-harm and other harmful material. Tackle toxic algorithms that feed children harmful content, from dangerous stunts to hate speech. Act fast to remove harmful content, with clear routes for reporting and complaints. Face serious penalties, including fines of up to £18 million or 10 per cent of global annual revenue, for non-compliance. Mr Poynton confirmed he would work cross-party in the autumn to review gaps in the legislation, particularly in light of emerging technologies like AI. 'Tech moves fast – but our response must be faster. If fines aren't enough, we'll legislate again. We owe it to our children to keep them safe.' Wizz has been approached for comment.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Airline chief defends £3.3m pay after backlash
Britain is opposed to rewarding chief executives with the generous pay deals needed to retain top talent, the boss of Wizz Air has said. József Váradi, who received a pay package totalling €3.8m (£3.3m) last year, spoke out after 28pc of the airline's shareholders voted against its remuneration report on Wednesday. He said: 'There is a kind of an anti-executive pay sentiment in the UK, whether we like it or not. 'Some people take a different view on social paradigms. But we cannot ignore the fact that executive pay is a matter of retention, and you have to retain your talents in the company.'As far as I'm concerned we have a very fair and equitable system for addressing performance and realities, and the need to retain top talents.'Wizz Air, which is based in Hungary but listed in London, has suffered a shareholder backlash over executive pay in recent years. Its share price has slumped 45pc over the past year after demand for flights in its core market of Eastern Europe was hurt by the war in Ukraine and the conflict in the Middle East led to the disruption of services to Israel. Unexpected wear and tear to the Pratt & Whitney engines on Wizz Air's jets – caused by the use of contaminated powdered metal during manufacturing – has also forced it to ground about a fifth of the fleet for repairs at any one impact of the setbacks was revealed last month, when Wizz said operating profit in the year through March had dropped to barely a third of the previous total, triggering a stock rout that saw £480m wiped off its market Váradi's pay for the year through March included €2.3m in shares awarded as the prospect of securing a £100m long-term bonus faded. The latter payout requires shares in Wizz Air to hit £120, a distant prospect with it trading at just £11 on Thursday. Mr Váradi said Wizz Air's executive pay is benchmarked to airline industry added: 'We have never been down-voted on anything. Which British government has even been elected with 70pc of the vote? 'What it tells me is that the majority of investors support the direction we are taking, but there is a minority – not a negligible minority – that is not overly happy.'Mr Váradi's remarks add to an ongoing debate over executive salaries after Julia Hoggett, the chief executive of the London Stock Exchange, said Britain was being held back by a campaign against high pay and that a 'constructive discussion' was required. Burberry came under fire in May after it was revealed that Joshua Schulman, its new chief executive, was paid almost £2.6m in his first nine months in the job, and stands to make £5.6m this year if he meets bonus targets – even as the luxury fashion brand cuts up to 1,700 O'Leary, the chief executive of Ryanair, qualified for a bonus of more than €100m earlier this year after the Irish carrier's shares traded above a specified level for a 28th straight day, despite it reporting a 16pc drop in annual profit. Mr Váradi said Wizz Air had no plans to review its London listing despite saying last year that the City had 'lost a bit of its mojo when it comes to capitalism'. He added: 'We know that there is market speculation happening through short sellers, but once we get rid of the uncertainties we will stabilise that and also get more solid results in the stock exchange.'Yes, we are going through some rougher waters right now, but we have a very solid, loyal investor base.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Wizz Air misses profit estimates, delays return of grounded jets
By Joanna Plucinska and Shashwat Awasthi (Reuters) -Wizz Air missed first-quarter profit estimates on Thursday as the budget airline struggles with plane groundings and warned that grounded jets would return to service a year later than expected. The company's shares were down 3.5% by 0734 GMT. It said existing problems with RTX-owned Pratt & Whitney engines, which caused the grounding of some planes, had been compounded by the "poorer than specified" performance of the GTF engines, leading to significantly less time in service before needing inspections. No-one at P&W could immediately be reached for comment. Wizz has struggled in recent years to compete financially with other European carriers as it grapples with the engine challenges. The groundings have limited its ability to increase capacity to meet demand and it has issued two profit warnings in the past year. Wizz said it had 41 aircraft grounded due to GTF engine-related inspections as of June 30, and now expects the affected planes to return to the air in the financial year ending March 2027, a year later than previously predicted. "Our management team has demonstrated a high degree of adaptability in recent years when faced by severe challenges, and this year will likely continue to call on that strength as we refocus our business," CEO Jozsef Varadi said in a statement. Wizz reported an operating profit of 27 million euros ($31.8 million) for the three months to June 30, compared with 87 million projected by analysts polled by LSEG and down 38.3% from a year ago. NEXT GENERATION Varadi told Reuters he was hopeful the next generation of GTF engines would not suffer some of the ongoing issues. "Towards the end of this year, Pratt & Whitney is bringing in the second version of the engine and much improved technology," he said. There was no explicit outlook offered for the year, but some analysts pointed to positive signs, given attempts to cut costs and build a better maintenance partnership with P&W. Still, mid-term growth goals are set to be revised down. "Despite the near-term cuts, we do see some early 'green shoots' in the results around strategy and upcoming structural action being taken," JP Morgan analysts said in a note. Wizz, founded in Hungary, expanded first into western Europe, before opening a base in Abu Dhabi six years ago, and is pinning its hopes for future growth on a major expansion into the Middle East. But it announced its exit from Abu Dhabi last week, blaming recent geopolitical instability for frequent airspace closures and disruptions, which have hit travel demand and meant there was no hope for recovery at the loss-making unit. "No customer likes flying over rockets," Varadi said, adding that demand was impacted by political events in the region, challenges to engines in the hot environment and a lack of access to lucrative India and Pakistan routes. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
RTÉ News
6 days ago
- Business
- RTÉ News
Wizz Air misses profit estimates, delays return of grounded jets
Wizz Air today missed first-quarter profit estimates as the budget airline struggles with plane groundings due to problems with Pratt and Whitney engines and warned grounded jets would return to service a year later than expected. It said existing problems had been compounded by "poorer than specified" performance of the GTF engines, leading to significantly lower time in service before needing an inspection. Wizz has struggled in recent years to compete financially with other European carriers as it grapples with the engine challenges, with the groundings limiting its ability to increase capacity to meet demand. It has issued two profit warnings in the past year. Wizz said it had 41 aircraft grounded due to GTF engine-related inspections as of June 30, and now expects the affected planes to return to the air in the financial year ending March 2027, a year later than previously predicted. "Our management team has demonstrated a high degree of adaptability in recent years when faced by severe challenges, and this year will likely continue to call on that strength as we refocus our business," CEO Jozsef Varadi said in a statement. Wizz reported an operating profit of €27m for the three months to June 30, much lower than the €87m projected by analysts polled by LSEG, and down 38.3% from a year ago. There was no explicit outlook offered for the year, but some analysts pointed to positive signs, given attempts to cut costs and build a better maintenance partnership with Pratt and Whitney. "Despite the near-term cuts, we do see some early 'green shoots' in the results around strategy and upcoming structural action being taken," JP Morgan analysts said in a note. Wizz, founded in Hungary for eastern European travellers, expanded first into western Europe, before opening a base in Abu Dhabi six years ago, and pinning its hopes for future growth on a major expansion into the Middle East. But it announced its exit from Abu Dhabi last week, blaming recent geopolitical instability for frequent airspace closures and disruptions, which have hit travel demand and meant there was no hope for recovery at the loss-making unit. Investors took the move positively, with shares up soon after the announcement, but cautioned of tough competition in Eastern Europe. "The change should improve operational performance (by moving activity out of the harsh environments). However, it means they will have to compete far more directly with Ryanair in Eastern Europe," one budget airline investor told Reuters.
Time Out Dubai
17-07-2025
- Business
- Time Out Dubai
How to get a refund on Wizz Air Abu Dhabi flight bookings
Wizz Air is officially grounding its Abu Dhabi operations. The Hungarian low-cost airline has announced that it will suspend all flights from the UAE capital starting September 1 2025, leaving travellers scrambling to rethink their plans. If you've already got a Wizz Air Abu Dhabi ticket in hand (or inbox), here's what you should be doing right now. So, what's happening? Wizz Air Abu Dhabi – the UAE outpost of the European budget airline – has been operating from Zayed International Airport since 2020. But citing a mix of engine reliability issues in the region's climate, limited market access, and growing geopolitical pressures, the airline is calling it quits on its Abu Dhabi operations. While Wizz Air has confirmed that it is leaving Abu Dhabi, no update has been issued on whether or not the two Dubai-based routes will continue. What does this mean for your travel plans with Wizz Air? Credit: Wizz Air All Wizz Air flights out of Abu Dhabi will stop after August 31 2025, so if you were planning to travel with Wizz Air from September 1 onwards, your flight will be cancelled. But if you're flying before that, also be aware that the airline hasn't ruled out potential disruption in the lead-up to the shutdown. Here's what to do to stay informed: Step 1: Check your booking Dig out your confirmation email or log in to the Wizz Air app. Take note of: Your booking reference number Your travel dates Whether you booked directly with Wizz or through a third-party site Step 2: If you booked directly with Wizz Air You should receive an email from the airline outlining your refund options or possible rebooking routes. Keep a close eye on your inbox (and check your spam folder just in case). Updates will also be posted on the Wizz Air website and mobile app, so stay tuned. Step 3: If you booked through a travel agent or website Wizz Air says you'll need to speak directly to your booking agent. They'll be handling your refund or travel rebooking, so reach out ASAP with your booking reference handy. Step 4: Look for alternatives now With the summer travel season in full swing, flights are filling up fast. Start comparing other airlines operating from Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Prices may be higher, especially for last-minute bookings, so the earlier you act, the better. Step 5: Save everything Keep records of all your communication – emails, chats, call notes – in case you run into any issues with refunds or changes. Having documentation will make any potential claims much smoother. Wizz Air Abu Dhabi's exit is a blow to budget-conscious travellers, especially those looking for low-cost summer escapes. But with a little planning and quick action, you can still salvage your holiday – and maybe even discover a better deal along the way. Wizz Air CEO József Váradi explained that it was a difficult decision to make. He said: 'While this was a difficult decision, it is the right one given the circumstances. We continue to focus on our core markets and on initiatives that enhance Wizz Air's customer proposition and build shareholder value.' Jetting off soon? Everything you need to know about Al Maktoum International Airport A deep dive about the big project When is the next UAE public holiday? Your public holiday questions, answered Dubai flights: When will flydubai start operations in Al Maktoum International Airport? The budget airline will open at Al Maktoum International Airport sooner than you'd think
