Wizz Air Holdings Plc Annual report and accounts 2019

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 2

CONTENTS

Strategic report

Financial highlights 4

Company overview 5

Chairman’s statement 7

Chief Executive’s review 9

Selected statistics 17

Financial review 19

Key statistics 26

Principal risks and uncertainties 28

Governance

Corporate governance report 34

Compliance with the UK Corporate Governance Code 36

Management of the Company 39

Report of the Chairman of the Audit Committee 50

Report of the Chairman of the Nomination Committee 53

Directors’ remuneration report 55

Corporate responsibility 70

Directors’ report 76

Company information 79

Statement of Directors’ responsibilities 80

Independent auditors’ report 81

Accounts and other information

Consolidated statement of comprehensive income 88

Consolidated statement of financial position 89

Consolidated statement of changes in equity 90

Consolidated statement of cash flows 92

Notes forming part of the financial statements 92

References to “Wizz Air”, “the Company”, “the Group”, “we” or “our” in this report are references to Wizz Air Holdings Plc, or to

Wizz Air Holdings Plc and its subsidiaries, as applicable.

2019, F19, FY19 and FY 2019 in this document refer to the financial year ended 31 March 2019. 2018, F18, FY18 and FY 2018 refer to

the financial year ended 31 March 2018. Equivalent terms are used for prior financial years.

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 3

STRATEGIC

REPORT

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 4

STRATEGIC REPORT

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

2019 2018

Financial year € million € million Change

Total revenue (continuing operation*) 2,319.1 1,939.0 +19.6%

Profit for the year (full business*) 291.6 275.1 +6.0%

Profit for the year (continuing operation*) 295.3 276.4 +6.9%

Profit margin (continuing operation*) 12.7% 14.3% -1.5ppt

Financial year 2019 2018 Change

Passengers** 34.6m 29.6m +16.7%

Year-end fleet 112 93 +20.4%

Number of employees (average)*** 4,550 3,686 +14.5%

* In October 2018 the Group decided to cease its online tour operator business line effective from 31 December 2018. This business

line was in the past (during the 2017-2018 years) presented as a separate operating segment of the Group and for the purposes

of the current financial statements was classified as “discontinued operation” under IFRS 5. The income statement for both

2019 and 2018 is being presented net of the revenues and expenses of the discontinued operation. The continuing operation

for 2018 corresponds to what was presented as the Airline business segment in 2018. As a consequence, some measures for

2018 are now different from those originally disclosed in the 2018 Annual Report for the Group. It is only the profit after tax that

is now disclosed also for the entire business for the two years. (See Note 5 to the financial statements for more detail on the

discontinued operation.)

** Booked passengers.

*** Including rented pilots and inactive employees.

* Years F14-F17 show “underlying net profit”, a non-statutory profit measure used by the Company during those years. For further details

see the F14-F18 annual reports.

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 5

STRATEGIC REPORT

COMPANY OVERVIEW

Wizz Air’s Presence

Number of routes operated from CEE* countries as at 31 March 2019:

Poland 148

Romania 137

Hungary 81

Bulgaria 38

Macedonia 33

Ukraine 30

Lithuania 28

Serbia 18

Bosnia and Herzegovina 15

Georgia 13

Moldova 13

Latvia 12

Kosovo 4

Czech Republic 3

Slovakia 3

Albania 2

Croatia 2

Montenegro 2

Slovenia 2

Estonia 1

* Central and Eastern Europe, or CEE, is a region comprised of Albania, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia,

the Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Hungary, Kosovo, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Poland, Romania,

Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia and Ukraine.

Number of routes operated from other European countries (to non-CEE countries) as at 31 March 2019:

Austria 22

United Kingdom 10

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 6

STRATEGIC REPORT

COMPANY OVERVIEW

CONTINUED

Milestones and Achievements

FY 2019

 Wizz Air received two CESAAR awards: The Company was named 2018 “The Best Low-Cost Airline of the

Year in CEE region” and was given the “Best Cabin Crew” award by the Central and Eastern European

passengers.

 Wizz Air took delivery of the first two Airbus A321neo aircraft. The new generation game-changer aircraft

is powered by Pratt & Whitney GTF engines, features the widest single-aisle cabin with 239 seats in a

single class configuration and offers Wizz Air maximum flexibility, fuel efficiency and low operating cost.

 Wizz Air continued to invest significantly in its fleet by adding twelve A321ceo, five A320ceo and two

A321neo aircraft, taking our fleet to 112 aircraft at the end of March 2019.

 The Company inaugurated its brand new €30 million state-of-the-art pilot and cabin crew training centre

in Budapest. The facility currently operates two full motion simulators and can train up to 300 flight and

cabin crew members on a daily basis.

 Wizz Air was awarded the highest 7-star safety ranking from the world's only one-stop airline safety and

product rating agency AirlineRatings.com.

 The Company continues to invest in its people with the launch of the Wizz Air Pilot Academy program in

Hungary. This follows the very successful launches of the program in Poland, Bulgaria and Romania.

 Wizz Air received permission from the UK Secretary of State for Transport for Wizz Air UK Limited to be

granted a UK route license, which was issued in October 2018, future-proofing the status of Wizz Air UK

Limited as a British airline, regardless of the outcome of the Brexit negotiations, and therefore will enable

the Group to continue flying from the UK to non-EU countries following Brexit.

 Wizz Air UK company expansion with two additional aircraft to be deployed from summer 2019, taking

the London Luton based fleet to 11 aircraft.

 The Company introduced a new transparent baggage policy aimed at easing the boarding experience for

customers and decreasing baggage-related delays for all Wizz Air flights.

 Wizz Air celebrated the inauguration of its newest hangar in Sofia, the company's 4th dedicated

maintenance centre in Europe.

FY 2020 to date

 Wizz Air opened its 26

base in Krakow, Poland with three brand new Airbus A321 aircraft being deployed

from summer 2019.

 Wizz Air has announced the deployment of a total of 11 aircraft in Summer 2019 in the following locations:

Budapest (+1), Katowice (+1), Warsaw (+1), Gdansk (+1), Bucharest (+1), Krakow (+3), London Luton (+2),

Timisoara (+1), Skopje (+1), Varna (+1), Kutaisi (+1)

 Wizz Air was named “2019 Airline of the Year” by Air Transport Awards, the only international prize that

awards all the main categories of the air transport industry.

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 7

STRATEGIC REPORT

CHAIRMAN’S STATEMENT

Overview

2019 was another strong year for Wizz Air. We carried 34.6 million passengers, delivered revenue growth of

19.6% and net profit growth of 6.0%. We are a European cost-leader and are confident that we are a structural

long-term winner in the aviation industry. Our focus on the lowest-cost operations, superior customer service

and the strong growth profile of the Central & Eastern European markets have once again produced

outstanding results.

Strategy

Our strategy remains simple and is delivering. We maintain an industry-leading cost base, a young, best-in-

class fleet and a focus on the growth markets of Central and Eastern Europe. We also continued to strengthen

our position in Western Europe, including the establishment of a base in London Luton which now serves as

our UK operating base. We will further enhance our efficiency and cost base with the addition of the Airbus

A321neo aircraft to our fleet. These larger and more fuel-efficient aircraft financed with our investment-grade

balance sheet enables us to carry more passengers at the lowest possible cost.

Underpinning our commitment to cost-efficient and profitable growth is an unwavering commitment to safety.

We are proud of our safety track record and will continue to ensure that we meet the highest standards for

safety and excellence.

2019 Key Performance Metrics

We delivered on a number of key milestones in 2019 – from a strategic, operating and financial perspective:

 Added 125 new routes during the year, strengthening our position as the leader in CEE and as one of

Europe’s strongest and most efficient airlines.

 Were awarded a UK route license that future-proofs the status of Wizz Air UK Limited as a British airline.

 Signed letter of intent to finance 10 A321neo aircraft at rates significantly better than prior market transactions.

 Opened our new €30 million state-of-the-art pilot and cabin crew training centre in Budapest which can train

up to 300 flight crew and cabin crew members altogether on a daily basis.

 Further strengthened our balance sheet and liquidity position unrestricted free cash of €1,316.0 million at the

end of the financial year.

 Awarded the highest 7-star safety ranking from the world’s only one-stop airline safety and product rating

agency – Airline Ratings.

Board Changes

As a Board, we recognise the importance of good governance and effective oversight in protecting and

creating value for our shareholders. We regularly review the structure of our Board to ensure we have an

appropriate and diverse mix of skills and experience to oversee the execution of our strategy and to ensure

that constructive conversations are held with the management team.

In June 2018, Barry Eccleston joined the Board of Wizz Air as an independent non-executive director. A British

national, Barry recently retired as Chief Executive Officer of Airbus Americas Inc., where he was responsible

for all aspects of Airbus' commercial airplanes business in North America, a position he held since 2005. His

knowledge on both technical and business levels will be particularly beneficial to Wizz Air.

In July, Peter Agnefjäll was appointed as an independent non-executive Director. Peter was the President and

Chief Executive Officer of IKEA Group from 2013 to 2017. His experience of leading, developing and

transforming a successful low-cost brand in a profitable, sustainable and engaging way will bring an added

and valuable element to Board discussions.

In September Maria Kyriacou was appointed as an independent non-executive Director. Maria is the current

President of International ITV Studios, part of ITV plc. In her role, she oversees ITV Studios’ production

companies across Europe and Australia and its growing US scripted business. As we continue to be a leader

in the digital business, Maria will bring to the Board first-hand experience of leading a business in a sector that

has seen significant digital shift in recent years.

During the July-September quarter, Thierry de Preux and John McMahon stepped down from the Board after

six years. On behalf of the Board, I would like to take this opportunity to thank them for their valued

contribution in their roles as non-executive Director and as members of the Remuneration Committee and the

Audit Committee, respectively. We wish them well in their future endeavors.

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 8

STRATEGIC REPORT

CHAIRMAN’S STATEMENT

CONTINUED

Board Changes

continued

In April 2019, John R. Wilson has retired from the Board. John has been with Wizz Air almost since the

beginning and has helped to guide the company's vision and growth since that time as a valued and

knowledgeable non-executive Director. We thank him for his significant contribution over the last 14 years.

For the 2018 external Board evaluation, the Board engaged Oliver Ziehn from London-based corporate

advisory firm Lintstock to conduct an independent external evaluation of the performance of the Board, its

Committees and the Chairman.

Culture & Stakeholders

During 2019, the Board and senior management placed particular focus on building and maintaining strong

relationships with our wide range of stakeholders. The Company’s values are at the core of Wizz Air’s success,

and by ensuring that the entire organization embraces them, we can continue to grow successfully and

generate shareholder value in the long term.

Customers

Our business is successful because of our ability to offer low fares and reliable travel which has gained the

support of our customers. We thank all of our customers, old and new, for their business in 2019. We continue

to expand our network and look forward to welcoming new customers on board at Wizz Air in 2020.

Customers are at the centre of our business. In November we introduced a new transparent baggage policy

aimed at easing the boarding experience for customers and decreasing baggage-related delays.

Employees

We are proud to say that we have over 4,500 aviation professionals delivering a superior service across our

network. The dedication and enthusiasm displayed by them on a daily basis is vital to Wizz Air’s success and

ensuring that our customers feel safe and comfortable on board.

We have consistently placed a high emphasis on – and investment in - education and training for both pilots

and crew members to ensure best-in-class standards across our business. Our new state-of-the-art pilot and

cabin crew training centre in Budapest currently operates two full motion simulators and can train up to 300

flight and cabin crew members on a daily basis.

Communities

Wizz Air has operations at 146 airports in 44 countries and it is our declared aim to build active relationships

with the communities in our markets. During 2019, we once again devoted ourselves to local community

projects across our markets, which foster a stronger bond between our employees and the communities in

which we operate.

The Company is also putting increasing emphasis on minimizing our carbon footprint. The introduction of the

A321neo aircraft to Wizz Air’s fleet means that the company will benefit from industry-leading low emissions:

Pratt and Whitney‘s GTF engine has demonstrated its promised ability to reduce fuel burn by 16 per cent. and,

in addition, the aircraft provides a 50 per cent. reduction in noise footprint compared to previous generation

aircraft.

We believe that the A321neo aircraft will play a vital role towards our goal to operate in the most sustainable

and efficient way possible and minimize the carbon footprint of our customers.

Looking Ahead

The 2019 financial year was another milestone for Wizz Air: we made significant investments in our business

and people, we further strengthened our market position and we affirmed our position as an ultra-low-cost

leader. Demand across all our markets remains robust and we expect to deliver an improved operational

performance in the year ahead in spite of air traffic control and other industry infrastructure challenges.

Starting into the 2020 financial year, we remain confident about the coming period. While turbulence across

the industry is likely to continue, we have proven that we can deliver low operating costs and growth in all

market conditions. We look forward to continuing to build our position as a leader in European air travel. With

a strong balance sheet and a proven business model, we believe Wizz Air can drive strong growth, attract new

customers and deliver superior returns for our shareholders.

William A. Franke

Chairman

30 May 2019

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 9

STRATEGIC REPORT

CHIEF EXECUTIVE’S REVIEW

I am delighted to be able to report another year of success for Wizz Air in 2019, as we delivered market leading

growth rates and continued to drive cost efficiencies across the network. In an environment of high fuel prices,

our ultra-low-cost business model provides us with a significant competitive advantage. As we continue to

drive our cost base even lower and profitably stimulate traffic, this advantage allows us to capture an even

greater share of the market for air travel in CEE as well as selected routes in Western Europe.

As economic growth continues across the CEE region, we are happy to welcome customers on board on 125

new routes launched in the last 12 months. In 2019, we carried 34.6 million customers, up 16.7% year on year.

We delivered revenue growth of 19.6% and net profit of a record €291.6 million, an increase of 6.0% year on

year.

The first half of the 2019 financial year brought a particularly challenging operating environment for all airlines

in Europe, and we were not immune. Unprecedented disruptions due to air traffic control (‘ATC’) strikes, slot

constraints and heavily congested airports meant that 251 of our flights were cancelled in the first half. We

took steps to resolve those issues within our control and experienced a significant improvement in the

operating environment in the second half.

We remain well on track to deliver on our mission to be the undisputed ultra-low-cost carrier in the industry.

Central to Wizz Air’s ultra-low-cost base is our commitment to operating the youngest, most fuel-efficient

aircraft. The average age of our fleet is 4.7 years, one of the youngest fleets of any major European airline. In

the fourth quarter, we took delivery of our first A321neo aircraft. We have 254 NEO aircraft on order to be

delivered over the next eight years. These deliveries when combined with an intensive programme of returning

older CEO aircraft back to lessors means that Wizz Air will very soon operate one of the most fuel-efficient

fleets in the world.

Our performance in 2019 demonstrated the agility of our business; the benefits of our fleet and efficiency, the

diversified network and continued improvements to our industry-leading ultra-low-cost base all coming

together to drive fares lower and stimulate ever higher load factors and passenger numbers. In FY 2019, we

delivered:

 An increase in revenues of 19.6% to €2,319.1 million;

 Growth in ancillary revenue of 18.1% to €953.0 million;

 An increase in net profit of 6.0% to €291.6 million;

 A total airline ex-fuel unit cost decrease of -1% to €2.24 cents per Available Seat Kilometre (ASK);

 A 17% increase in capacity offered to the market (as measured by ASKs), as we extended and deepened

our network of routes to and from Central and Eastern Europe; and

 An increase in our average load factor by 1.5 percentage points to 92.8% in the financial year while delivering

industry leading growth rates with a passenger number increase of 16.7% to €34.6 million.

Strategic progress

We remain committed to our strategy built on low fares and a diverse network, supported by efficient

operations and high-quality customer service.

Cost control is at the core of our business and with a relentless focus on costs and efficiency across all areas

of the business, we are able to offer our customers industry-leading low fares and grow our markets. Our

structured approach to risk management and our agile infrastructure of personnel, processes, systems,

suppliers and outsourced services means that the organization is sufficiently scalable and therefore best

placed to carry out our ambitious growth plans.

Our organisation is deeply international across all functions, and this allows us to maintain sustainable partnerships

with all key stakeholders, including our employees, airport operators, suppliers, governments and regulators in

new markets as a reliable, long-term partner.

With our investment-grade credit rating, we will be able to reduce our aircraft ownership costs significantly,

which will enable us to become the undisputed cost leader in the European airline industry, sustainably grow our

business and maximize shareholder value.

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 10

STRATEGIC REPORT

CHIEF EXECUTIVE’S REVIEW

CONTINUED

CEE’s Leader

Wizz Air remains the undisputed market leader in the CEE region, with a market share of 38.6% in the low-

cost sector and 16.3% of the total CEE market. During FY 2019, we launched 125 new routes and now operate

from 25 bases which connect 146 destinations in 44 countries. We remain confident in the growth potential of

the region and will continue to stimulate demand in our markets.

The table below shows the Company’s ranking by low-cost market share in each of its CEE base countries:

Number 1 Number 2 Number 3

Market

Carrier

Airline

CEE Wizz Air 38.6% Ryanair Group 30.2% Easyjet 6.1%

Poland Ryanair Group 50.3% Wizz Air 38.8% Norwegian Group 4.1%

Romania Wizz Air 57.1% Blue Air 24.6% Ryanair Group 15.0%

Hungary Wizz Air 50.9% Ryanair Group 26.1% Easyjet 8.3%

Bulgaria Wizz Air 53.0% Ryanair Group 35.7% Easyjet 4.4%

Ukraine Wizz Air 43.1% Nordwind

Airlines

12.9% Pegasus 12.5%

Lithuania Ryanair Group 53.2% Wizz Air 42.1% Norwegian Group 4.8%

Latvia Ryanair Group 53.2% Wizz Air 29.2% Norwegian Group 16.7%

Slovakia Ryanair Group 63.6% Wizz Air 32.4% flydubai 2.6%

Georgia Wizz Air 48.4% flydubai 23.5% Air Arabia 11.9%

Serbia Wizz Air 54.5% Ryanair Group 12.2% Easyjet 8.4%

Moldova Wizz Air 55.1% FlyOne 44.9%

Macedonia Wizz Air 86.3% Germania Flug 6.3% Pegasus 4.9%

Bosnia and

Herzegovina

Wizz Air 54.8% Pegasus 12.4% flydubai 11.8%

The table below shows the Company’s ranking by market share in each of its CEE base countries:

Number 1 Number 2 Number 3

Market Carrier Share Airline Share Airline Share

CEE Wizz Air

16.3%

Ryanair Group

12.7%

LOT Polish Airlines

6.2%

Poland

Ryanair Group 25.9% LOT Polish

Airlines

25.6% Wizz Air 20.0%

Romania

Wizz Air 35.7% TAROM 16.5% Blue Air 15.3%

Ukraine

International

35.9% Aeroflot Russian 8.2% Wizz Air 7.7%

Hungary

Wizz Air 31.1% Ryanair Group 16.0% Lufthansa 7.0%

Bulgaria

Wizz Air 24.1% Ryanair Group 16.2% Bulgaria Air 13.4%

Latvia

airBaltic

58.8% Ryanair Group 12.8% Wizz Air 7.0%

Serbia

Air Serbia 45.1% Wizz Air 10.9% Lufthansa 5.2%

Lithuania

Ryanair Group 30.8% Wizz Air 24.4% airBaltic

9.8%

Georgia

Georgian Airways 13.6% Wizz Air 11.7% Turkish Airlines 11.4%

Moldova

Air Moldova 46.6% Wizz Air 14.2% FlyOne 11.6%

Slovakia

Ryanair Group 39.1% Travel Service

Group

21.4% Wizz Air 19.9%

Macedonia Wizz Air

61.0%

Turkish Airlines

8.5%

Austrian Airlines

6.7%

Bosnia and

Herzegovina

Wizz Air 31.4% Turkish Airlines 12.0% Austrian Airlines 9.5%

(Source data for both tables: Innovata, April 2018 – March 2019.)

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 11

STRATEGIC REPORT

CHIEF EXECUTIVE’S REVIEW

CONTINUED

CEE’s Leader

continued

The table below shows the fleet allocation by country at 31 March 2019 compared to a year earlier:

Fleet deployment by country

Year end March 2019 March 2018 Change

Total 112 93 +19

Romania 26 21 +5

Poland 24 25 -1

Hungary 15 12 +3

Great Britain 9 3 +6

Bulgaria 7 8 -1

Austria 5 - +5

Macedonia 4 4 0

Ukraine 4 2 2

Lithuania 3 4 -1

Bosnia and Herzegovina 2 2 0

Latvia 2 2 0

Serbia 2 2 0

Georgia 2 1 +1

Moldova 2 1 +1

Czech Republic - 1 -1

Slovakia - 1 -1

Undesignated 5 4 1

Expanding Network

During 2019, we maintained our leadership position in the CEE market, and continued to take advantage of

valuable market opportunities beyond CEE. Our new base in Vienna opened in June 2018 with five based

aircraft. In addition, we started operations to two new destinations in CEE (Tallinn in Estonia and Kharkiv in

Ukraine), as well as from five new destinations across Western Europe and Northern Africa.

As at today, Wizz Air offers services from 23 CEE countries including the 11 CEE countries where we have

based aircraft and crews. During the year, the Company started operations to/from 7 new airports, as follows:

New CEE stations

City Country

Kharkiv Ukraine

Tallinn Estonia

New stations outside CEE

City Country

Bremen Germany

Castellon Spain

Oslo Norway

Marrakech Morocco

Vienna Austria

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 12

STRATEGIC REPORT

CHIEF EXECUTIVE’S REVIEW

CONTINUED

Fleet development

During the 2019 financial year, we continued to invest significantly in our fleet by adding twelve A321ceo, five

A320ceo and two A321neo aircraft, taking our fleet to 112 aircraft at the end of March 2019. Deliveries of the

A321ceo aircraft commenced in November 2015 and in just less than three years we are already operating 38

of the type, and in March 2019 we took delivery of the first two A321neo aircraft. Together they represent 41

per cent. of the Company’s total seat capacity.

The arrival of the A321neo aircraft is a game-changer for Wizz Air, as we continue to grow at an industry-

leading rate and expand our market reach across and beyond Europe. The aircraft is powered by Pratt &

Whitney GTF engines and features the widest single-aisle cabin with 239 seats in a single class configuration

and offers Wizz Air maximum flexibility, fuel efficiency and low operating costs.

The A321neo offers significant environmental benefits with nearly a 50 per cent. reduction in noise footprint

compared to previous generation aircraft. Since entering into service in early 2016, Pratt and Whitney‘s GTF

engine has demonstrated its promised ability to reduce fuel burn by 16 per cent. and nitrogen oxide emissions

by 50 per cent.

The composition of our fleet at the end of the 2019 financial year and currently anticipated at the end of the

next two financial years is as follows:

March 2019 March 2020 March 2021

Actual Planned Planned

A320ceo without winglets (180 seats) 35 32 27

A320ceo with winglets (180 seats) 28 28 28

A320ceo with winglets (186 seats) 9 9 9

A321ceo with winglets (230 seats) 38 41 41

A321neo with winglets (239 seats) 2 12 35

Fleet size 112 122 140

Proportion of seat on A321 41% 50% 61%

Average number of seats per aircraft 198,5 203,5 209,8

Aircraft Orders

In FY 2016 the Company concluded a purchase agreement with Airbus for 110 firm-order A321neo aircraft and

purchase rights for a further 90 of the type. During the 2017 financial year the Company selected and

contracted Pratt & Whitney’s new technology geared turbofan engines to power these aircraft. The purchase

agreement includes uncommitted purchase rights for 75 additional A321neo aircraft as well as ample flexibility

with conversion and deferral rights.

During FY 2018 the Company signed two additional purchase agreements with Airbus. The first was for 10

A321ceo aircraft with deliveries in 2018 and 2019 calendar years responding to the ever-increasing demand for

Wizz Air’s low fares. The second and historic order at the end of 2017 was the Company’s largest ever order

of 146 A320neo family aircraft (72 A320neo and 74 A321neo), and as part of an airline group initiative, marked

also as Airbus’ largest ever A320 family aircraft order of 430 units. This exceptional deal secures a continued

stable flow of new aircraft starting from 2021 until 2026 at extremely competitive prices.

Wizz Air now has 254 Airbus aircraft on order and these ultra-efficient, next-step technology aircraft will

underpin our growth plans for the next decade as we continue with our mission to be the undisputed cost

leader among European airlines. Based on the current order book with Airbus, and lessor return schedule, the

fleet will more than double in size from the end of FY 2017 to the end of FY 2024.

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 13

STRATEGIC REPORT

CHIEF EXECUTIVE’S REVIEW

CONTINUED

Offering our customers more

We are continuously working on offering the lowest fares, yet also provide our customers with superior service

starting with the booking flow up to the on-board experience. Our aim is to simplify processes and offer the

most suitable travel options for our customers. In order to deliver a seamless travel experience, we introduced

the following improvements during the 2019 financial year:

 The new generation Airbus A321neo aircraft that features the widest single-aisle cabin with 239 seats in a

single class configuration and offers Wizz Air maximum flexibility, fuel efficiency and low operating cost;

 Introduction of a new and improved baggage policy which allows priority boarding customers two pieces

of hand-luggage on board and enables more efficient operations, resulting in improved on-time

performance;

 New app functionalities with fast track and lounge access sales during and post booking, as well as last

minute sales for WIZZ Priority up to 40 minutes before departure;

 Re-design of the check-in and booking flow on the website and the mobile app to provide a more seamless

experience and a better understanding of our products and services;

 Improved disruption management: Wizz Air continuously works on pro-active and timely customer

support by implementing changes and initiatives for better managing disruptions;

 Faster repatriation of mishandled bags to passengers with SITA WorldTracer®, which allows the airline to

trace mishandled bags across the globe;

 Increased coverage of parking and transfer services via the app by 10% network-wide, to provide a wider

choice to our customers; and

 New cooperation with our partners including Heinemann in Budapest to offer further benefits to our

customers.

Wizz Air’s customer base consists of many loyal Wizz Air fans who frequently fly with us: with our Wizz

Discount Club, more than 1.3 million members and their friends and families benefit from even lower fares.

The trust of our customers is further demonstrated by increasing bookings with our partners via wizzair.com,

as well as further growth of our ancillary revenues by 18.1% year-on-year.

During 2019, we were delighted to having been recognised by a number of awards from our loyal Central and

Eastern European customers, including two CESAAR awards as “The Best Low Cost Airline” as well as the

airline with the “Best Cabin Crew” in Poland, and two Sky Awards in Bulgaria as the “Best Low-Cost Airline”

and as “Passengers’ most preferred choice”. These awards, which are among the most important and

prestigious prizes of the aviation industry in the CEE region, are a recognition of Wizz Air's excellent

performance, superior service and strong network expansion. In May 2019, Wizz Air was named “2019 Airline

of the Year” by Air Transport Awards, the only international prize that awards all the main categories of the

air transport industry.

Developing our people

The success of our business is directly related to the quality of our employees across the network. Without the

best people, we would be unable to deliver on our growth ambitions. We have developed a number of training

and career development initiatives for our employees to help them with their career progression not only

through promotions but also by helping them move between functions, operations and bases. In 2019, we

rolled out the Wizz Air Pilot Academy program in Hungary, following previous successful launches in Poland,

Bulgaria and Romania. We also opened our new €30 million state-of-the-art pilot and cabin crew training

facility in Budapest.

During the 2018 financial year, WIZZ air decided to open the WIZZ foundation, an official funding entity set up

in Hungary, with the aim of supporting the broader community in four different areas: health, education, child

care and emergency aid.

The board of trustees consists of four members drawn from cabin crew, flight crew and office. In addition to

the WIZZ foundation, WIZZ air also introduced WIZZ aid, an employee emergency fund which is designed to

provide financial support to colleagues who need urgent medical treatment or suffer from natural or man-

made disasters.

In addition, the ‘WIZZ People Council’, a community of Wizz Air staff enables an effective two-way

communication between the management and employees, to support the decision-making process on matters

which affect all staff within the company.

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 14

STRATEGIC REPORT

CHIEF EXECUTIVE’S REVIEW

CONTINUED

Environmental initiatives

We continuously use innovative technologies to minimise the effect of our operations on the environment.

With our order of the ultra-efficient Airbus A320neo Family aircraft that started delivery in March 2019, our

environmental footprint will continue to decrease.

In addition, the company is currently implementing over 65 various fuel saving initiatives to make sure that we

minimise our fuel consumption. While undeniably good for business, it also means that we operate in as

environmentally friendly a way as possible. Since 2012, we have started several projects including the

improvement of economic flying speed, descent optimization and zonal drying, which add up nearly 100,000

tons reduction of CO2 emissions per year, or over 3% per aircraft per year.

Technology advancements

Digital technology has been at the core of Wizz Air’s success from the start, and we will continue to serve our

customers across Europe in a scalable and personalized way. In FY 2019, we appointed Joel Goldberg to the

newly-created position of Chief Digital Officer, who will ensure that Wizz Air’s digital development not only

keeps up with, but also anticipates the future needs of our customers as well as continues to improve efficiency

across the business.

Wizzair.com remains one of the world’s top ten most visited airline websites, and 96% of our current sales

come through digital sales channels. To leverage the shifting trends and maintain a low-cost distribution

strategy, Wizz Air has embraced a “mobile first” strategy. By applying user research and service design, Wizz

Air’s digital optimization has contributed to ever improving conversion rates on ticket and ancillary sales. On

our mobile application, we recorded close to 138 million sessions of more than 26 million users in FY 2019.

In addition, we will focus on maintaining and developing solid, reliable and scalable enterprise platforms and

focus on automated processes that support our core business and enable digital ways of working. In FY19, we

have mapped out our most critical processes to lay the groundwork for continuous automation.

As we look ahead to FY20, we will drive further digitalization of the customer journey and support customer

self-service in order to make our products and services available 24-7 to our customers. We will have a

relentless focus on automating the highest volume areas of manual work to free our people up to focus on the

more strategic, value adding activities, and we will be introducing new digital tools to enhance productivity

and connectedness of our employees. This strong digital foundation and framework will enable us to further

leverage emerging technologies like machine learning and artificial intelligence in the coming years. As we

continue our remarkable growth story, we are committed to becoming the most digital ULCC in the industry

in order to better serve the evolving expectations of our customers and people.

Balanced hedging approach

Wizz Air operates under a clear set of treasury policies approved by the Board and supervised by the Audit

Committee. The aim of our hedging policy is to reduce short-term volatility in earnings and liquidity. Wizz Air

hedges a minimum of 50 per cent. of the projected US Dollar and jet fuel requirements for the next twelve

months (40 per cent. on an 18-month hedge horizon).

During the 2017 fiscal year the Company started to hedge the GBP, its largest non-EUR revenue currency,

against EUR in order to avoid potential short-term volatility. Unlike for the US Dollar, there is no minimum

coverage set, while the maximum is 60% of projected net GBP exposure on a rolling twelve-month basis.

Details of the current hedging positions (as at 20 May 2019) are set out below:

Foreign exchange (FX) hedge coverage of Euro/US Dollar

F20 F21

Period covered 11 months 7 months

Exposure (million) $734 $578

Hedge coverage (million) $398 $122

Hedge coverage for the period 54% 21%

Weighted average ceiling $1.2398 $1.1862

Weighted average floor $1.1909 $1.1415

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 15

STRATEGIC REPORT

CHIEF EXECUTIVE’S REVIEW

CONTINUED

Balanced hedging approach

continued

Foreign exchange (FX) hedge coverage of Euro/US Dollar

F20* F21 *

Period covered 2 months

Exposure (million) £29 -

Hedge coverage (million) £16 -

Hedge coverage for the period 55% -

Weighted average ceiling £0.9195 -

Weighted average floor £0.8798 -

* The GBP hedging program is applicable on a maximum twelve-month horizon and within this horizon is discretionary. The

open hedges currently in place cover only May-June 2019 (i.e. the first two months of F20)

Fuel hedge coverage

F20 F21

Period covered 11 months 7 months

Exposure in metric tons ('000) 1129 873

Coverage in metric tons ('000) 612 191

Hedge coverage for the period 54% 22%

Blended capped rate $705 $689

Blended floor rate $643 $631

Sensitivities

 Pre-hedging, a one cent movement in the Euro/US Dollar exchange rate impacts the 2020 financial year

operating expenses by €6.0 million.

 Pre-hedging, a one penny movement in the Euro/British Pound exchange rate impacts the 2020 financial

year operating expenses by €1.9 million.

 Pre-hedging, a $10 (per metric ton) movement in the price of jet fuel impacts the 2020 financial year fuel

costs by $11.0 million.

In the Company’s view, the profit impact of such changes is likely to be less than above given the empirical

evidence of major industry-wide movements in input costs being passed through to air fares with a lag of

twelve to eighteen months.

Management changes

In August 2018, we announced the appointment of Joel Goldberg to the newly created position of Chief Digital

Officer. As mentioned, Mr. Goldberg will be responsible for our continued focus on digital innovation to ensure

we are providing the best service for our customers. Mr. Goldberg reports to Stephen Jones, Managing Director

Wizz Air Hungary and Deputy Chief Executive Officer and is responsible for the Group's E-commerce, Data

Analytics and Automation, IT Innovation and IT Infrastructure and Services functions.

In September 2018 our Chief Corporate Officer Owain Jones assumed the newly created role of Managing

Director of Wizz Air UK Limited to lead what we expect will be a significant part of our business in the future.

In the same month, Marion Geoffroy was promoted to Chief Corporate Officer from Head of Legal.

In April 2019, András Sebők was promoted to the newly created Chief Supply Chain Officer position. András

assumed responsibility for fleet acquisition, purchasing, facility management and airport development

functions. In the same month, Johan Eidhagen assumed responsibility of human resources in addition to

Marketing and Communications as well as customer experience and retail as Chief People and Marketing

Officer.

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 16

STRATEGIC REPORT

CHIEF EXECUTIVE’S REVIEW

CONTINUED

Outlook

As the new financial year begins we are very optimistic for the coming twelve months. Higher fuel prices are

supporting a stronger fare environment and we expect these macro conditions to provide Wizz Air with

market share opportunities as weaker carriers withdraw unprofitable capacity. Our ability to drive cost

advantage further and offer lower fares across our ever expanding network will lead to an expected 17%

increase in passenger numbers to 40 million in FY20. Although still at an early stage of the financial year, the

Group net profit is expected to be in a range of between €320 million and €350 million in FY 2020. As usual,

this guidance is dependent on the revenue performance for the all-important summer period as well as the

second half of FY 2020, a period for which the Company, like most airlines, currently has limited visibility.

Wizz Air has recorded a solid start to FY20 with RASK

forecast up 4% in Q1 year-on-year driven by the

strength in the Company’s ancillary revenues which is expected to continue into the summer and also by the

timing of Easter. With no signs that ATC and airport infrastructure issues will improve any time soon the

Company anticipates another very challenging operating environment in F20. To counter these issues the

Company has implemented a number of initiatives designed to improve our operations customer experience

which includes re-affirming our F20 aircraft delivery schedule with Airbus, additional capacity in our schedule

during the peak summer months and changing our cabin bag policy which will improve boarding times.

Our cost focus, market leading position in CEE, pipeline of 253 larger and more fuel efficient game-changing

Airbus A320neo family aircraft and our investment-grade balance sheet are the strongest of foundations for

Wizz Air to continue to drive profitable growth and achieve one of the best profit margins of all European

airlines, ensuring Wizz Air remains one of the most exciting airline businesses in the world.

Full year guidance

2020

Financial Year Comment

Capacity growth (ASKs) 16% H1: 17%; H2: 15%

Average stage length Moderate Increase -

Load Factor + 1% -

Fuel CASK + 7% Fuel price of $650, €/US$ of 1.12

Ex-fuel CASK - 2% Reclassification of lease cost to interest

expense and depreciation under IFRS16

Ex-fuel CASK (including net interest expense) Broadly flat -

Total CASK + 2% -

RASK Up low single digit -

Tax rate 4% -

Net profit €320 - €350 million -

József Váradi

Chief Executive Officer

31 May 2019

See definition of RASK and CASK in the Glossary of technical terms.

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 17

STRATEGIC REPORT

SELECTED STATISTICS

* Years F14-F17 show “underlying net profit”, a non-statutory profit measure used by the Company during those years. For further details

see the F14-F18 annual reports.

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 18

STRATEGIC REPORT

SELECTED STATISTICS

CONTINUED

* F14 and F15 CASK include exceptional items.

** Reliability = (1 - number of operational cancellations / number of revenue flight legs) x 100 per cent.

*** On-time performance = (1- number of delays > 15min / number of revenue flight legs) x 100 per cent. Figures represent A15

(arrival within 15 minutes from the scheduled arrival time.

**** Including rented pilots and inactive employees.

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 19

STRATEGIC REPORT

FINANCIAL REVIEW

During the 2019 financial year Wizz Air carried 34.6 million passengers, which represents an increase of 16.7

per cent. compared to the previous year. The company grew revenues to €2,319.1 million, an increase of a 19.6

per cent. compared to the previous year. Wizz Air delivered strong capacity growth profitably, despite

challenging circumstances: capacity growth measured in terms of available seat kilometres (ASK) increased

by 17.0% per cent. and seats of 14.9% per cent while delivering a net profit growth of 6.0 per cent. to €291.6m

(the latter including the result of discontinued operation).

The Group achieved an increase in unit revenues measured in terms of ASKs, which rose by 2.3% per cent. to

3.85 Euro cents, while unit costs grew by 4.9 per cent. to 3.35 Euro cents in 2019 from 3.19 Euro cents in 2018.

This increase in CASK

was principally driven by an increase of 19.0% in fuel CASK. CASK excluding fuel

expenses decreased by 0.9% per cent to 2.24 €cents in 2019 from 2.26 €cents in 2018. Net profit margin

decreased to 12.7%, down from 14.3% in 2018. (These measures, and all other revenue and expense numbers

stated in the Financial Review, are for the continuing operation of the Group unless otherwise indicated. See

Note 5 to the financial statements for more details on the results of the discontinued operation.)

Wizz Air continued to make investments during the financial year, which drive efficiencies and lower costs to

enable long-term growth. Significant milestones include:

 The delivery of the first two Airbus A321neo aircraft, which will further strengthen Wizz Air’s position as

Europe’s ultimate cost leader.

 Two brand new Airbus A321 aircraft are being deployed in Krakow from summer 2019, operating 12 new

routes to nine countries at Wizz Air’s 26th base.

 Wizz Air inaugurated its brand new €30 million state-of-the-art pilot and cabin crew training centre in

Budapest. The facility currently operates two full motion simulators and can train up to 300 flight and

cabin crew members on a daily basis.

 The Company expanded Wizz Air UK with two additional aircraft to be deployed from summer 2019,

taking the London Luton based fleet to 11 aircraft.

Profit after tax, including the result of the discontinued operation, increased by 6.0 per cent. to €291.6 million

in 2019 from €275.1 million in 2018. Excluding the result (loss) of the discontinued operation profit increased

by 6.9 per cent. to €295.3 million in 2019 from €276.4 million in 2018

The macro variables with significant influence on the financial performance of the Group developed during the

year as follows:

2019 2018 Change

Average jet fuel price ($/metric ton, including into plane

premium and hedge impact) 724 611 +18.4%

Average USD/EUR rate (including hedge impact) 1.18 1.15 +15.9%

Year-end USD/EUR rate 1.12 1.23 -9.0%

1 See definition of RASK and CASK in the Glossary of technical terms.

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 20

STRATEGIC REPORT

FINANCIAL REVIEW

CONTINUED

Financial overview

Summary statement of comprehensive income

€ million

Continuing operation 2019 2018 Change in results

Total revenue

2,319.1 1,939.0

19.6%

Fuel costs

667.9 479.8

39.2%

Operating expenses excluding fuel

1,351.5 1,166.1

15.9%

Total operating expenses

2,019.4 1,645.9

22.7%

Operating profit

299.8 293.0

2.3%

Operating profit margin

12.9% 15.1%

Net financing income/(expense)

0.5 (5.7)

Profit before income tax

300.2 287.3

4.5%

Income tax expense

(4.9) (11.0)

Profit from continuing operation

295.3 276.4

6.9%

Loss from discontinued operation

(3.7) (1.3)

Profit for the year

291.6 275.1

6.0%

Earnings per share

Earnings per share, EUR (Note 13) 2019 2018 Change

Basic earnings per share from continuing operation 4.06 4.02

0.04

Diluted earnings per share from continuing operation 2.34 2.19 0.15

Basic earnings per share 4.01 4.00 0.01

Diluted earnings per share 2.31 2.18 0.13

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 21

STRATEGIC REPORT

FINANCIAL REVIEW

CONTINUED

Return on capital employed and capital structure

Return on capital employed (ROCE)* is a non-statutory performance measure commonly used to measure the

financial returns that a business achieves on the capital it uses. ROCE for the 2019 financial year was 15.6 per

cent., a change of 0.6 percentage points compared to the previous year.

The Company’s leverage* fell to a ratio of 1.4 (2018: 1.5) at the end of the 2019 financial year.

The year-on-year comparisons of ROCE and leverage were impacted by the translation effect of the stronger

US Dollar compared to last year as capitalised aircraft leases, mostly denominated in US Dollar, are translated

into a higher Euro value in 2019.

Liquidity* rose from 50.5 per cent. at the end of the 2018 financial year to 56.7 per cent. a year later.

2019 2018 Change

ROCE* 15.6% 16.2% 0.6 ppts

Leverage* 1.4 1.5 0.1 ppts

Liquidity* 56.7% 50.5% 6.2 ppts

* See the definition of these non-statutory measures and their calculation under Key statistics on page 27.

Financial performance

Revenue

The following table sets out an overview of Wizz Air’s revenue items for 2019 and 2018 and

the percentage

change in those items:

2019

2018

Total

(€ million)

Percentage of

total revenue

Total

(€ million)

Percentage of

total revenue

Percentage

change

Passenger ticket revenue

1,366.1 58.9% 1,132.2 58.4%

20.7%

Ancillary revenue

953.0

41.1% 806.8 41.6%

18.1%

Total revenue 2,319.1 100% 1,939.0 100% 19.6%

The passenger ticket revenue increase of 20.7 per cent. to €1,366.1 million was primarily driven by increased

RASK1 of 2.3 per cent. as well as 16.7% higher passenger numbers. Ancillary (or “non-ticket”) revenue remained

strong with an 18.1 per cent. growth to €953.0 million. Its share of the total revenue only decreased slightly, by

0.5 percentage points to 41.1%, despite the fact that the free large cabin bag policy was only removed in Q3

2019.

Average revenue per passenger rose to €67.1 in 2019 from €65.4 in 2018, representing an increase of

2.5 per cent. Average ticket revenue per passenger increased from €38.2 in 2018 to €39.5 (by 3.4 per cent.),

while average ancillary revenue per passenger increased to €27.6 from €27.2 (by 1.3 per cent.). The increase

in average revenue per passenger was due to the impact of increased customer penetration of existing

products such as allocated seating and different checked-in luggage sizes.

In 2019 the Group adopted IFRS 15, ‘Revenue from Contracts with Customers’, which had immaterial impact

(€4.2 million reduction) on total revenues in the year (see more details in Note 2 to the financial statements).

Operating expenses

Total operating expenses increased by 22.7 per cent. to €2,019.4 million in 2019 from €1,645.9 million in 2018.

CASK

grew by 4.9 per cent. to 3.35 Euro cents in 2019 from 3.19 Euro cents in 2018. The main driver of this

was an increase in the average fuel price.

CASK excluding fuel expenses decreased to 2.24 Euro cents in 2019 from 2.26 Euro cents in 2018. Higher staff-

related unit costs were offset by lower unit costs on depreciation and on net other expenses.

1 See definition of RASK and CASK in the Glossary of technical terms.

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 22

STRATEGIC REPORT

FINANCIAL REVIEW

CONTINUED

Financial performance

continued

Operating expenses continued

The following table sets out the operating expenses for 2019 and 2018 and the

percentage changes in

those items:

2019 2018

Total

(€ million)

Percentage

of total

operating

expenses

Unit Cost

(€cts/ASK)

Total

(€ million)

Percentage

of total

operating

expenses

Unit Cost

(€cts/ASK)

Percentage

change of

total cost

Staff costs

198.6 9.8% 0.33 147.6 9.0% 0.29 34.6%

Fuel costs

667.9 33.1% 1.11 479.8 29.2% 0.93 39.2%

Distribution and

marketing

37.8 1.9% 0.06 33.1 2.0% 0.06 14.4%

Maintenance, materials

and repairs

115.1 5.7% 0.19 98.6 6.0% 0.19 16.7%

Aircraft rentals

326.0 16.1% 0.54 276.3 16.8% 0.54 18.0%

Airport, handling and

en-route charges

550.3 27.3% 0.91 465.7 28.3% 0.90 18.2%

Depreciation and

amortisation

92.7 4.6% 0.15 90.6 5.5% 0.18 2.4%

Net other expenses

30.9 1.5% 0.05 54.2 3.3% 0.11 (43.0)%

Total operating

expenses 2,019.4 100% 3.35 1,645.9 100% 3.19 22.7%

Staff costs increased by 34.6 per cent. to €198.6 million in 2019, up from €147.6 million in 2018. The increase in

overall staff costs were driven by a significant pilot salary increase, as well as a 14.7 per cent. rise in aircraft

block hours.

Fuel expenses increased by 39.2 per cent. to €667.9 million in 2019, up from €479.8 million in 2018. The main

driver for this increase was rising average fuel prices, as well as an ASK growth of 17 per cent. The average fuel

price, including hedging impact and into-plane premium, paid by Wizz Air in 2019 was US$724 per ton, an

increase of 18.4 per cent. from the previous year’s figure of US$611 per ton. The average euro / US dollar

exchange rate, including the impact of hedging, was 1.18 in 2019 compared to a rate of 1.15 in 2018.

The increase in distribution and marketing costs of 14.4 per cent. to €37.8 million in 2018 from €33.1 million in

2018 is in line with FY 2019 seat capacity growth of 14.9 per cent.

Maintenance, materials and repair costs rose by 16.7 per cent. to €115.1 million in 2019 from €98.6 million in

2018. This cost increase was the result of the increased numbers of hours flown and the timing of certain

maintenance events.

Aircraft rental costs rose 18 per cent. to €326.0 million in 2019, up from €276.3 million in 2018, which is

favourable when compared to a higher fleet growth (equivalent aircraft grew by 21 per cent.).

Airport, handling and en-route charges increased by 18.2 per cent. to €550.3 million in 2019 from €465.7

million in 2018. This category comprised €336.5 million of airport and handling fees and €213.7 million of

en-route and navigation charges in 2019, compared to €273.9 million of airport and handling fees and

€191.8 million of en-route and navigation charges in 2018. The main driver of this cost increase was a 13

per cent. increase in the number of flights, and a 16.7 per cent. rise in passenger numbers.

Depreciation and amortisation charges increased by 2.4 per cent. to €92.7 million in 2019 from €90.6 million

in 2018.

Net other expenses include primarily (i) office overhead and crew related costs other than direct staff

costs, (ii) passenger welfare and compensation costs, (iii) aviation and other insurance costs, and (iv)

credits that do not classify as revenue from customers. The Company’s enviable A320neo family aircraft

order started to deliver significant value in the fourth quarter of F19 with the delivery of the Company’s

first two A321 neo aircraft. This milestone event led to a decrease in net other expenses from €54.2 million

in 2018 to €30.9 million in 2019. This reduction was driven by credit items in 2019 totalling €44.5m relating

to various aircraft asset sale and leaseback transactions and certain supplier contract negotiations. These

items are not expected to recur to the same magnitude in the 2020 financial year. The embedded value

in the Company’s aircraft order of 254 aircraft is expected to deliver significant financial benefits over the

life of the contract.

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 23

STRATEGIC REPORT

FINANCIAL REVIEW

CONTINUED

Financial performance

continued

Net financing income and expense

The Group’s net financing gain was €0.5 million in 2019 after a loss of €5.7 million in 2018. This aggregate

change was driven by improvements both in financial income and expenses and in foreign exchange impacts,

as shown in the table below:

€ million 2019 2018 Change

Net financial income/(expenses)

2.0 (2.2)

4.2

Net foreign exchange loss

(1.6)

(3.5)

2.0

Net financing income and expense

0.5

(5.7)

6.2

See also Note 11 to the financial statements.

Taxation

The Group recorded an income tax expense of €4.9 million in 2019 compared to €11.0 million in 2018. The

effective tax rate for the Group in 2019 was 1.6 per cent compared to 3.8 per cent. in 2018. The main

components of the tax charge are local business tax and innovation tax paid in Hungary, and corporate income

tax paid in Switzerland and in the United Kingdom. The lower rate of tax and the lower tax charge in 2019 were

driven by a decrease of Swiss tax, partly offset by an increase of Hungarian local taxes. The decrease of Swiss

tax charge was caused by the reduction in the Swiss income tax rate applicable to Wizz Air Hungary Kft.,

resulting in both (i) in a permanent reduction in the current tax for the year, and (ii) in a decrease of deferred

tax liability and an adjustment to the current tax of prior periods, which credits were one-off in nature.

Profit for the year

The Group generated a profit for 2019 of €291.6 million, a 6.0 per cent. increase from the net profit of €275.1

million in 2018 (both including the result of discontinued operation).

Other comprehensive income and expenses

In 2019 the Group had other comprehensive expense of €5.7 million compared to €10.0 million income in 2018.

This change was driven primarily by the movements in the fair value of open hedge instruments, as reflected

in the balance of the cash flow hedging reserve in equity.

Cash flows and financial position

Summary statement of cash flows

The following table sets out selected cash flow data and the Group’s cash and cash equivalents for 2019 and

2018:

€ million 2019 2018 Change

Net cash generated by operating activities

407.1

416.9

(9.8)

Net cash used in investing activities

(64.0)

(208.9)

144.9

Net cash used in financing activities

(6.5)

(2.3)

(4.2)

Effect of exchange rate fluctuations on cash and cash equivalents

(0.1)

Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the year

1,316.0

979.6

336.4

Cash flow from operating activities

The majority of Wizz Air’s cash inflows from operating activities are derived from passenger ticket sales. Net

cash flows from operating activities are also affected by movements in working capital items.

Operating cash flows declined from €416.9 million in 2018 to €407.1 million in 2019 primarily due to the

following factors:

 Operating cash flows before adjusting for changes in working capital: while profit before tax (including

the result of the discontinued operation) increased by €10.5 million year on year, operating cash flows

(before working capital impacts) declined by €16.1 million primarily because the 2019 profit included €25.7

million gain from the sale of tangible fixed assets, the cash flow impact of which is taken into account

under investing activities.

 Changes in working capital: The movements in working capital items increased 2019 operating cash flows

by €53.5 million, which is €9.5 million higher than the impact of the same items in 2018. The cash flows

from the regular significant items of working capital for the Group (receivables, restricted cash, payables,

deferred income) were all increasing year-on-year broadly in line with the rate of growth of the business.

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 24

STRATEGIC REPORT

FINANCIAL REVIEW

CONTINUED

Cash flows and financial position

continued

Cash flow from investing activities

Net cash used in investing activities decreased by €144.9 million from a net cash outflow of €208.9 million in

2018 to a net cash outflow of €64.0 million in 2019. The lower investment in 2019 was the net impact of the

following two opposite impacts:

 Advances paid for aircraft (pre-delivery payments, ‘PDP’): The net PDP flows (payments paid to Airbus

less refunds received) were €71.3 million inflow in 2019 compared to net €124.9 million outflow in 2018,

requiring €196.2 million less net cash investment in 2019 than in 2018. This decrease was primarily due to

a restructuring of the Company’s CY2019 aircraft delivery schedule and associated PDP commitments

with Airbus in October 2018.

 Purchase of maintenance assets amounting to €133.0 million in 2019, compared to only €84.1 million in

2018, consisting of heavy maintenance related activities (by amount primarily related to engine life limited

parts replacements) as well as advance payments made in relation to engine heavy maintenance

scheduled to be performed in the future.

Cash flow from financing activities

Net cash used in financing activities increased by €4.2 million resulting in a €6.5 million

outflow

in 2019 from a

€2.3 million outflow in 2018.

Summary statement of balance sheet

The following table sets out summary statements of financial position of the Group for 2019 and 2018:

€ million 2019 2018 Change

ASSETS

Property, plant and equipment

659.3

684.5 (25.2)

Restricted cash*

188.9

162.1 26.8

Derivative financial instruments*

31.5

34.1 (2.6)

Trade and other receivables*

304.2

239.0 65.2

Cash and cash equivalents

1,316.0

979.6 336.4

Other assets*

57.6

42.7 14.9

Total assets

2,557.5

2,142.1 415.4

EQUITY AND LIABILITIES

Equity

1,527.7

1,241.9 285.8

Liabilities

Trade and other payables

306.4

254.7 51.7

Convertible debt and other borrowings*

29.0

32.2 (3.2)

Deferred income*

524.1

437.4 86.7

Derivative financial instruments*

18.8

13.7 5.1

Provisions*

149.2

153.0 (3.8)

Other liabilities*

2.2

9.2 (7.0)

Total liabilities 1,029.8

900.2 129.6

Total equity and liabilities

2,557.5

2,142.1 415.4

* Including both current and non-current asset and liability balances, respectively.

Property, plant and equipment decreased by €25.2 million as at 31 March 2019 compared to 31 March 2018.

This was driven by the decrease of PDP held with Airbus, as explained above under cash flows from investing

activities.

Restricted cash (current and non-current) increased by €26.8 million as at 31 March 2019 compared to

31 March 2018. These are mainly deposits behind letters of credit issued by Wizz Air’s banks, related primarily

to lease security deposits and maintenance reserves. The growth was broadly proportional with the increase

in the number of aircraft (all leased).

Derivative financial assets (current and non-current) decreased by €2.6 million as at 31 March 2019 compared

to 31 March 2018 (see also Notes 3 and 21 to the financial statements).

Trade and other receivables (current and non-current) increased by €65.2 million as at 31 March 2019

compared to 31 March 2018, which is broadly consistent with the rate of increase of the business during the

year (see also Note 19 to the financial statements).

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 25

STRATEGIC REPORT

FINANCIAL REVIEW

CONTINUED

Cash flows and financial position

continued

Summary statement of balance sheet continued

Cash and cash equivalents increased by €336.4 million as at 31 March 2019 compared to 31 March 2018.

Trade and other payables increased by €51.7 million as at 31 March 2019 compared to 31 March 2018. This rate

of increase is broadly consistent with rate of increase for the Group’s business during the year.

Deferred income (current and non-current) increased by €86.7 million as at 31 March 2019 compared to

31 March 2018 (see Note 26 to the financial statements). This was driven by the increase in unearned revenues,

including also an impact from the timing of Easter (that fell to the end of March in 2018 but to April in 2019).

Derivative financial liabilities (current and non-current) increased by €5.1 million as at 31 March 2019 compared

to 31 March 2018 (see Notes 3 and 20 to the financial statements).

Provisions (current and non-current) decreased by €3.8 million as at 31 March 2019 compared to 31 March 2018

(see Note 29 to the financial statements). The low rate of increase was driven primarily by a decrease in

maintenance provisions for engine life limited parts replacements as a high number of these events were

performed during the 2019 financial year.

Adoption of IFRS 16

The Group is adopting IFRS 16 from 1 April 2019. This change will have significant impact on the financial

statements of the Group. The Group will apply the full retrospective method of transition and will restate the

FY 2019 financial statements in the Annual Report and Accounts for FY 2020. The impacts of the change are

explained in Note 2 to the financial statements.

The transition involves the recognition of a very significant lease liability under IFRS 16, denominated primarily

in US Dollar, which is subject to FX revaluation. This required the implementation of new risk management

measures, to protect earnings from FX translation volatility. The Group, starting from 1 April 2019, is mitigating

these exposures by holding the majority of its cash balances in US Dollar (thus creating a US Dollar monetary

asset to naturally offset most of the lease liability) and by entering into Euro/US Dollar FX forward contracts

to cover the residual risk. The balance of the forward contracts will be actively managed in the future on a roll-

forward basis to cover the estimated future net US Dollar liability. See more details in Note 3 to the financial

statements.

Overall we feel positive about the impacts of IFRS 16 on our business because it will facilitate a fairer and more

transparent comparison of the financial performance between airlines, independent from the form of aircraft

financing.

Iain Wetherall

Chief Financial Officer

31 May 2019

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 26

STRATEGIC REPORT

KEY STATISTICS

2019 2018 Change*

CAPACITY

Number of aircraft at end of period 112 93 20.4%

Equivalent aircraft 103.2 85.3 21.0%

Utilisation (block hours per aircraft per day) 12.02 12.68 (5.2)%

Total block hours 452,550 394,624 14.7%

Total flight hours

394,993

343,006

15.2%

Revenue departures

190,019

168,208

13.0%

Average departures per day per aircraft 5.05 5.41 (6.6)%

Seat capacity

37,266,876

32,438,754

14.9%

Average aircraft stage length (km)

1,618

1,589

1.8%

Total ASKs (’000 km)

60,283,961

51,536,986

17.0%

OPERATING DATA

RPKs (revenue passenger kilometre) (’000 km) 55,993,952 47,209,679 18.6%

Load factor (%) 92.8 91.3 1.5ppt

Number of passenger segments 34,566,688 29,632,357 16.7%

Fuel price (US$ per ton, including hedging impact and

into-plane premium)

724 611 18.4%

Foreign exchange rate (US$/€ including hedging impact) 1.18 1.15 2.9%

FINANCIAL MEASURES (for the Airline only)

Yield (revenue per RPK, € cents) 4.14 4.11 0.8%

Average revenue per seat (€) 62.23 59.77 4.1%

Average revenue per passenger (€) 67.1 65.43 2.5%

RASK (€ cents) 3.85 3.76 2.3%

CASK (€ cents) 3.35 3.19 4.9%

Ex-fuel CASK (€ cents) 2.24 2.26

(0.9)%

* Percentage changes in this table are calculated by division of the two years’ KPIs also when the KPIs are expressed in

percentage.

Glossary of technical terms

Available seat kilometres (ASK): available seat kilometres, the number of seats available for scheduled

passengers multiplied by the number of kilometres those seats were flown.

Block hours: each hour from the moment an aircraft’s brakes are released at the departure airport’s parking

place for the purpose of starting a flight until the moment the aircraft’s brakes are applied at the arrival airport’s

parking place.

CASK: operating expenses per ASK.

Equivalent aircraft: the number of aircraft available to Wizz Air in a particular period, reduced on a per aircraft

basis to reflect any proportion of the relevant period that an aircraft has been unavailable.

Ex-fuel CASK: operating expenses net of fuel expenses per ASK.

Flight hours: each hour from the moment the aircraft takes off from the runway for the purposes of flight until

the moment the aircraft lands at the runway of the arrival airport.

Load factor: the number of seats sold divided by the number of seats available.

PDP: the pre-delivery payments under the Group’s aircraft purchase arrangements.

Utilisation: the total block hours for a period divided by the total number of aircraft in the fleet during the

period and the number of days in the relevant period.

Revenue passenger kilometres (RPK): revenue passenger kilometres, the number of seat kilometres flown by

passengers who paid for their tickets.

RASK: passenger revenue divided by ASK.

Yield: the total revenue per RPK.

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 27

STRATEGIC REPORT

KEY STATISTICS CONTINUED

Definition and reconciliation of non-statutory financial performance measures

Return on capital employed (ROCE) is adjusted operating profit after tax divided by average capital

employed, expressed as a percentage.

Average capital employed is the sum of annual average equity (excluding convertible debt) and capitalised

operating lease obligations, less annual average cash and cash equivalents.

Capitalised operating lease obligations is annual aircraft lease rental expenses multiplied by seven as an

estimate of total outstanding obligation.

€ million 2019 2018

Profit for the year 291.6 275.1

Interest element of operating lease payments (being 1/3 of aircraft rentals) 108.7 92.1

Effective tax rate for the year 1.6% 3.8

Adjusted operating profit after tax 393.9 353.2

Average shareholders’ equity 1,385.1 1,123.9

Average cash and cash equivalents (1,147.8) (876.8)

Capitalised operating lease obligations 2,282.0 1,934.1

Average capital employed 2,519.3 2,181.2

ROCE (%) 15.6% 16.2%

Leverage: net debt adjusted to include capitalised operating lease obligations divided by EBITDAR.

Net debt is interest bearing borrowings less cash and cash equivalents.

Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, amortisation and rentals (EBITDAR) is profit (or loss) before net

financing costs (or gain), income tax expense (or credit), depreciation, amortisation and aircraft rentals.

€ million 2019 2018

Operating profit 299.8 293.0

Depreciation and amortization 92.7 90.6

Aircraft rentals 326.0 276.3

EBITDAR 718.5 659.9

Borrowings 2.2 5.3

Convertible debt 26.8 26.9

Cash and cash equivalents (1,316.0) (979.6)

Net debt (1,287.0) (947.4)

Capitalised operating lease obligations 2,282.0 1,934.1

Adjusted net debt 995.0 986.7

Leverage 1.4 1.5

Following the adoption of IFRS 16 capitalised lease obligations as in the calculation above would be replaced

by the lease liability determined under IFRS 16. The lease liability at the end of the 2019 financial year is

estimated to be €1,815 million (see Note 2). This 20 per cent. reduction in the obligation/liability will cause the

leverage ratio to drop to 0.7 for 2019 under IFRS 16.

Liquidity is cash and cash equivalents divided last twelve months’ revenue, expressed as a percentage.

€ million 2019 2018

Cash and cash equivalents 1,316.0 979.6

Revenue 2,319.1 1,939.0

Liquidity 56.7% 50.5%

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 28

STRATEGIC REPORT

PRINCIPAL RISKS AND UNCERTAINTIES

This section of the annual report sets out our risk management process and provides an overview of some of

the principal risks that could, if not appropriately dealt with, affect Wizz Air’s future success. Risk management

is a dynamic and ever-evolving area and the Company is committed to employing the best risk management

practice in order to identify and manage risks effectively.

Our risk management process

The Board is responsible for the Company’s risk management and it has delegated to the Audit Committee to

monitor the adequacy and effectiveness of the Company’s risk management systems. The Company has a

comprehensive enterprise risk management (ERM) process to support the achievement of business and

strategic goals. As part of our ERM process, risks are identified through a series of meetings with the

management team, analysed for likelihood and impact, and quantified. Risk response is determined depending

on the risk type and appetite. As part of this process, the internal Risk Council, involving the Company’s senior

management team and a number of other senior employees, meets regularly, to consider and update the

principal risks identified. The resulting principal risk report is then reviewed with the Audit Committee and

presented to the Board. These principal risks, many of which have been the subject of regular reporting and

discussion between senior management and the Board for some time, are detailed below. The Board is therefore

satisfied that it has carried out a robust assessment of the principal risks facing the Company, including those

that would threaten its business model, future performance, solvency or liquidity.

Risks relating to the Group

Introduction

The key risks identified by the Risk Committee fall into seven broad groupings:

 information technology and cyber risk, including website availability, protection of our own and our

customers’ data and ensuring the availability of operations-critical systems;

 external factors, such as the default of a partner financial institution, fuel cost, foreign exchange rates,

competition, general economic trends and geopolitical risk;

 product development, making sure that we are making the best use of our capacity and ensuring that we

have access to the right airport infrastructure at the right price so that we can keep on delivering the

superior Wizz Air service at low fares across an ever wider network;

 fleet development, ensuring the Company has the right number of aircraft available at the right time to

take advantage of commercial opportunities and grow in a disciplined way;

 regulatory risk, making sure that we remain compliant with regulations affecting our business and

operations;

 operations, including safety events and terrorist incidents;

 human resources, ensuring we are able to recruit the right quality and the right number of colleagues to

support our ambition to grow or, once recruited, that they remain engaged and motivated and that the

Company has in place appropriate succession management for key colleagues; and

 climate risk.

Information technology and cyber risk

Wizz Air primarily is an e-business. During the 2019 financial year, 96 per cent. of bookings were made

through wizzair.com and mobile applications. We are therefore dependent on our information technology

systems to enable and manage ticket reservations, process payments, check in passengers, manage

our

traffic

network, perform flight operations and engage in other critical business tasks. Our website is our shop window

and therefore it is critical that it is functional, reliable and secure. While we outsource the hosting and operation

of some of these systems to external IT suppliers, we retain an experienced internal team to oversee the

operation of these systems and manage service level. We will continue to review our business-critical systems

to ensure that the appropriate level of back-up is in place and that there are reliable recovery procedures in

place. The Company has employed business continuity processes since its beginning and during the 2018

financial year, the Company’s business continuity plan was comprehensively reviewed and updated to ensure

that it remained appropriate and sufficient for the Company’s continued growth. The up-to-date state and the

operability of the business continuity plan is ensured through regular testing and maintenance.

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 29

STRATEGIC REPORT

PRINCIPAL RISKS AND UNCERTAINTIES

CONTINUED

Risks relating to the Group

continued

Information technology and cyber risk continued

Cyber risk is a hugely important consideration for our business and is one of the areas closely monitored by

the Board. Our systems could be attacked in a number of ways and with varying outcomes – for example,

unavailability of wizzair.com or operations-critical systems or theft of our customers’ data that could result in

considerable loss of customer confidence. In the months leading up to the implementation of the General Data

Protection Regulation (“GDPR”) in May 2018 we completed a comprehensive review of the Company’s data

systems architecture and launched a combination of new processes, policies, and technological solutions

resulting in an increased data protection at Wizz Air. During the 2019 financial year, we have continued to

strengthen such processes, systems and policies and have engaged a Data Protection Officer. Cyber security

is a constantly evolving challenge and one of the key issues related to cyber security is our colleagues’

awareness of the risk and of the possible ways in which our business could be attacked and, therefore, a

comprehensive and compulsory e-learning training programme for all colleagues is maintained. Our in-house

IT security department continues to review emerging threats and the Board will be kept up to date on the

actions being taken to safeguard our Company.

External risks

We are a truly international business and, while we report in Euros, we transact in over 20 currencies. We

also make a large number of payments in US Dollars. Appreciation of the US Dollar against the Euro may

impact results and margins. Therefore, to reduce our exposure to currency

fluctuations in respect of costs

incurred in US Dollars, we engage in Euro/US Dollar hedging in accordance with the Board-approved hedging

policy. In addition, and recognising the importance of the British Pound as accounting for around 16 per cent.

of the Company’s total revenues, we also engage in Euro/British Pound hedging, again in accordance with the

Board-approved hedging policy. In all cases, hedging transactions are subject to the approval of the Audit

Committee.

During the 2019 financial year fuel accounted for 33.1 per cent. of our total Group operating costs and a rise

in fuel prices could significantly affect our operating costs. We therefore hedge our aviation fuel cost in

accordance with a Board-approved hedging policy. The Audit Committee is involved in and approves each

hedging decision.

In the past few years, Wizz Air has seen its cash reserves continue to increase. We believe that a strong cash

position is a vital foundation for the Company’s continued, aggressive growth and its ability to capture

commercial opportunities as they arise. Therefore, we actively manage the safeguarding of our financial assets

and monitor the viability of our hedging counterparties. In fact, all of the Company’s cash is invested in

accordance with a Board-approved counterparty risk policy which assigns investment limits to each

counterparty based upon its credit rating.

Competition is one of the key risks to our business.

Our competitors continuously strive to protect or gain

market share in markets in which we operate, perhaps by offering discounted fares or more attractive

schedules. Competition can, however, adversely affect revenues and so we constantly monitor our

competitors’ actions and the performance of our route network to ensure that we take both reactive and

proactive actions in a timely manner. Ultimately, our key competitive strength is our commitment to driving

our costs ever lower while delivering a superior service and building a loyal customer base. We firmly believe

that in tough market conditions lowest cost ultimately wins and therefore we are relentlessly committed to

the strictest cost discipline day in and day out.

Our business extends beyond the borders of the EU and into countries such as Russia, Turkey and Ukraine

and regions including the Caucasus, North Africa and the Middle East.

We are exposed to global political

and economic events and trends. An economic downturn could affect demand for air travel. Some of the

regions we operate in have in the past experienced, and may also in the future be subject to further potential

political and

economic instability caused by changes in governments, political deadlock in the legislative

process, contested election results, tension and local, regional or international conflicts, corruption among

governmental officials, social and ethnic unrest and currency instability. We maintain close relationships with

local authorities and, as an organisation, we are able to react quickly to adverse events.

The outcome of the Brexit vote continues to cause significant uncertainty for our business because,

notwithstanding the agreement-in-principle for an extended transition period, there is still overall uncertainty

on how the exit from the EU might happen. To ensure we are able to continue to fly a number of routes from

the United Kingdom to destinations outside the EU, as well as to enable the Company to capitalise on any

consolidation opportunities that might arise in the United Kingdom we already established Wizz Air UK, an

airline licensed in the United Kingdom. We continue a dialogue with various authorities to ensure that there is

a general understanding of the need to maintain access to the liberalised market.

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 30

STRATEGIC REPORT

PRINCIPAL RISKS AND UNCERTAINTIES

CONTINUED

Risks relating to the Group

continued

External risks continued

Regardless of the outcome of Brexit, we believe diversification of our network and markets is a key part of

sustainable business strategy and we remain confident that CEE is a large addressable market which will

continue to provide opportunities for profitable growth should our UK business be adversely affected.

Product development

We do not just compete for customers, we compete for access to infrastructure too. Wizz Air enjoys high

growth – but to meet our ambitious growth plans, we require additional space in airport terminals, additional

take-off, landing and airport slots. Certain airports in which we operate may already be or become congested,

meaning we may not be able to secure access to those airports at our preferred times. We are also making

sure that we retain the slots we already have and we maintain close working relationships with the relevant

airport authorities and slot co-ordinators and we are continuously improving our scheduling and slot

management systems and processes.

Fleet development

In order to support our growth plans, we require additional aircraft. We put emphasis on new aircraft – we

currently operate one of the youngest fleets in Europe with an average age of just 4.8 years. Having a modern

and reliable fleet means we can utilise it for over twelve hours a day. For the business it means lower unit

operating costs, and for our customers, lower prices. On 7 March 2019 the Company celebrated the arrival of

the first Airbus A321neo ‘gamechanger’ aircraft, the most efficient narrow body aircraft today and likely to

remain that way over the next few years. Our order book with Airbus as at 31 March 2019 was comprised of 3

A321ceo, 72 A320ceo and 182 A321neo aircraft with deliveries schedule to take place between 2019 and 2026.

A large aircraft order is a significant financial commitment and so requires financing. To date, we have

financed all of our new aircraft deliveries through sale and leaseback arrangements. This will continue to be

the case for the remaining A320ceo-family deliveries through to the end of 2019, for which we already have in

place fully committed sale and leaseback financing. On the A321 neo program the combination of the sale and

leaseback and JOLCO financing is providing a diversified fleet financing structure on market low rates. We are

confident that, given the aircraft’s desirability as a result of its superior operating economics and Wizz Air’s

established strong financial track record, finance will be readily available on competitive terms in 2020 as well.

With the advance of technology, aircraft computer technology intended to make flight operations safer is

becoming more sophisticated and may sometimes fail leading to aircraft getting grounded. Similarly, design

flaws of aircraft components may lead to costly delays of aircraft delivery. We are in constant dialogue with

our key suppliers Airbus and Pratt & Whitney to ensure that we have sufficient capacity to deliver our planned

growth and to be sure that crews are trained to the highest standard possible and are adept at using the latest

aircraft technology innovations.

Regulatory risks

Even in a liberalised air traffic right environment, aviation remains a highly regulated industry. Wizz Air Hungary

relies on an air operator’s certificate (AOC) and operating licence issued by Hungary and Wizz Air UK relies

on an AOC and operating licence issued by the United Kingdom. In each case, the licences allow the airline to

operate air services both within Europe and to and from countries with which Europe has liberalised air traffic

agreements. Each operating licence requires the Company to be majority owned and effectively controlled by

qualifying nationals, which currently means nationals of the European Economic Area and Switzerland. If the

Company ceases to be majority owned and effectively controlled by qualifying nationals, then its operating

licence – and, so, its right to operate its business – could be at risk. The Company therefore closely monitors

the nationality of its Shareholders. The Board has set a limit (permitted maximum) of 49% of its issued Ordinary

Shares for ownership by non-qualifying nationals and the Board has the power to take action in relation to

non-qualifying Shareholder shareholdings to protect the Company’s operating licences. The Board receives a

report at each Board meeting of the level of share ownership by non-qualifying nationals.

In view of the consequences of a no-deal Brexit and as the outcome still remains uncertain, Wizz Air has held

discussion with the European Commission and with the Hungarian Civil Aviation Authority and established an

ownership and control contingency plan based on a specific EU Aviation Regulation published in March 2019.

A stop notice published by the Company on 17 April 2018 has been in effect since then, and will continue to

remain in place, effectively barring any non-Qualifying Nationals (which from Brexit will include UK nationals)

from purchasing ordinary shares in the Company. Next to that, an investor relations program aimed at moving

the Company’s shareholder base to the EU (excluding the UK) has been initiated. Finally, to the extent the

increase of Qualifying Nationals’ shareholding would remain insufficient, the Company would implement the

disenfranchisement of the voting rights of certain Non-Qualifying National holders of Ordinary Shares, such

that, Non-Qualifying Nationals would hold fewer than 49% of those ordinary shares to which voting rights are

attached.

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 31

STRATEGIC REPORT

PRINCIPAL RISKS AND UNCERTAINTIES

CONTINUED

Risks relating to the Group

continued

Operational risks

An accident or incident, or terrorist attack, can adversely affect an airline’s reputation and customers’

willingness to travel with that airline.

At Wizz Air, our number one priority is the safety of our passengers and crew. Our aircraft fleet is young and

reliable, we use the services of world-class maintenance organisations and we have a strong safety culture. A

cross-functional safety council meets four times a year, involving both senior management as well as

operational staff, and reviews any issues which have arisen in the previous three months and the actions taken

as a consequence. In addition to this, we collect detailed data from all aspects of our operation in order to

identify trends, and relevant personnel from our Operations department meet twice a year to discuss any

trends identified in their area of operation and how they are being dealt with. We also operate an anonymous

safety reporting system, to enable our flight and cabin crew to report safety issues which are a concern to

them. The entry standards for our operating crew are high and our own Approved Training Organisation (ATO)

ensures that all of our pilots are trained to the highest standards. Wizz Air is a registered International Air

Transport Association’s Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) programme operator, which helps us to ensure that

we have best-in-class airline safety management and control systems and processes.

Our experienced security team has an ongoing programme to ensure that the security of our operations and

the airports which we serve meet high standards. Our security team also maintains close contact with relevant

authorities in order to assess any potential security or other threats to our operations. Any serious threat will

be escalated to senior management. We have in the past suspended operations to destinations where the

safety of our passengers, crew, and aircraft cannot be guaranteed. In December 2015, Wizz Air Hungary Ltd.

was named as a company of strategic importance by the Hungarian Parliament and, as such, the Company

now enjoys enhanced security information and protection under the auspices of the Hungarian Constitution

Protection Office. Wizz Air has also joined the campaign launched by the European Union Aviation Safety

Agency’s (EASA) aiming to reduce the number of unruly passengers on all European flights and protect the

passenger’s right to a peaceful travel experience.

In October 2018, Wizz Air was awarded the highest 7-star safety ranking from the world’s only one-stop airline

safety and product rating agency AirlineRatings.com.

The safety rating for each airline is based on a comprehensive analysis utilizing information from the world’s

aviation governing body and leading association along with governments and historical data. Evaluation

criteria are focusing on such important elements as IOSA certification, FAA endorsement, condition and age

of the fleet, accident history, International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) safety rating of the country of

origin, and other parameters. A 7-star safety rating, like in the case of Wizz Air, is awarded to airlines that meet

all the assessment criteria.

During the 2019 financial year we experienced significant challenges and an increased level of flight disruption

caused by European air traffic control due to national industrial relations issues. Wizz Air is continuing its

campaign for a unified pan-European air traffic management system that would lead to increased capacity

and decreasing flight disruption and maintaining a constant dialogue with the relevant European authorities.

Human resources

Wizz Air is a people business. We know that our people are the backbone of our business and it is their

dedication, day in, day out, that allows us to deliver our low-cost, quality service. But we know that we cannot

take our people for granted and that competition for the high quality people who we seek is keen and may

become even more so.

 From time to time, pilots and other personnel can be in short supply. We invest a huge amount of time in

recruiting pilots and also training them to maintain our high standards. In November 2018, the opening of

our new 3,800-square metre state-of-the-art training centre in Budapest reaffirmed our commitment to

training excellence.

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 32

STRATEGIC REPORT

PRINCIPAL RISKS AND UNCERTAINTIES

CONTINUED

Risks relating to the Group

continued

Human resources continued

 We are proud that, to date, we have maintained a good relationship with our employees and we have not

experienced industrial unrest. We strive to make sure that this will remain the case, but we realise that

there can be no guarantee. We know that we need to ensure that we continue to motivate our colleagues.

Feedback is an essential part of this process – both giving and receiving – and we consider direct

communication between senior management and other employees as the best way of listening to our

employees’ concerns. Wizz Air People Council initiative regularly brings together employees representing

all areas of the business and is designed to facilitate an effective two-way communication between the

management and employees and to support the decision-making process on matters that affect all of us

within the Company, so that Wizz Air can continue to improve both as an airline and as an employer.

 Our success to date has been driven also by our key personnel. Our continuing success will depend on

having the right people in those key positions. While, in the past, we have successfully recruited for those

positions, we recognise that we have a pool of talent within the Company and, during the 2019 financial

year, a completely new talent management programme was rolled-out across the Company’s office

functions. Succession of key personnel is a matter which we take extremely seriously and we shall continue

to develop our succession planning processes to ensure that we have colleagues of the right calibre to

lead the Company in the future.

Climate risk

As an airline, we recognise the risk related to oil consumption and CO2 emissions, which are considered a

cause of climate change.

Greenhouse gas emissions and their potential impacts relating to climate change is becoming an increasing

global regulatory focus. Aviation is already included in the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) and the

Company expects to be part of the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation

(CORSIA) when effective. In October 2016, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) adopted

CORSIA with the intention to create a single global market-based measure to achieve carbon-neutral growth

for international aviation after 2020, which can be achieved through airline purchases of carbon offset credits.

CORSIA is expected to increase operating costs for airlines that operate internationally.

While the precise impact of climate-related requirements continue to evolve, the Company takes its

responsibility towards the climate very seriously and is undertaking various measures that are expected to

help reduce its CO2 emissions over time, such as improving fuel efficiency through operational measures and

fleet renewal.

Until new regulations come into force and/or until pending regulations are finalized, future costs to comply

with such regulations remain uncertain but are likely to have a significant financial impact on our operating

costs, and the aviation industry as a whole over time. We continue to monitor these developments, however,

the precise nature of future requirements and their applicability to the Company are hard to predict.

József Váradi

Chief Executive Officer

31 May 2019

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 33

GOVERNANCE

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 34

GOVERNANCE

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE REPORT

A COMPANY COMMITTED TO HIGH STANDARDS OF CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

Chairman’s statement on corporate governance

Wizz Air grew its business in F19 by close to 20 per cent. in terms of revenues and close to 17 per cent. in terms

of the number of customers travelling with the Company. During the course of F19, the value of the Company

increased to a point where it was, as at the end of F19, in the top 23% of the FTSE 250.

As the Company continues to grow, so the Directors recognise the importance of ensuring that the Company’s

corporate governance remains of a high standard, to maintain the trust that our investors have placed in the

Company.

As Chairman, I am pleased to see the commitment of our Directors to the Company’s business, with a number

spending much time outside formal Board meetings interacting with the Company’s management. During the

course of F19, a certain number of directorate changes occurred. On 1 June 2018, Mr. Barry Eccleston was

appointed as Independent Non-Executive Director and member of the Nomination Committee. A British

national, Mr. Eccleston had recently retired as Chief Executive Officer of Airbus Americas Inc., where he was

responsible for all aspects of Airbus' commercial airplanes business in North America, a position he held since

2005. On 24 July 2018, the Board appointed Mr. Peter Agnefjäll as Independent Non-Executive Director. A

Swedish national, Mr. Agnefjäll was the President and Chief Executive Officer of IKEA Group from 2013 to 2017.

Mr. Agnefjäll was also appointed as a member of the Audit Committee. At the same time, John McMahon

retired from the Board after more than 6 years as an Independent Non-Executive Director. Mr. McMahon was

also the Senior Independent Non-Executive Director and a member of the Audit and Nomination Committees.

Upon retirement of Mr. McMahon, Simon Duffy was appointed as Senior Independent Non-Executive Director.

Ms. Maria Kyriacou was appointed as an Independent Non-Executive Director with effect from 25th September

2018. At the same time, Thierry de Preux retired from the Board after more than 6 years. A joint British and

Cypriot national, Ms. Kyriacou is currently President International ITV Studios, part of ITV plc. Maria oversees

ITV Studios' production companies across Europe and Australia, its growing US scripted business, plus

international distribution arm ITV Studios Global Entertainment (ITVS GE). Ms. Kyriacou is also a member of

the Remuneration Committee.

One of the keys to the Company’s success to date has been its agility in responding to opportunities and issues

that develop. However, it is important that this agility is matched by a robust governance process over

significant decisions. I believe that one of the strengths of the Company’s Board is the willingness and ability

of the Directors to be involved in strategic discussions and support the Company’s management with their

decisions in often-challenging timeframes. For example, during F18 the Board has discussed on a number of

occasions the possible outcomes of the United Kingdom’s decision to exit the European Union, or Brexit.

During F18, the Board approved the implementation of an important part of the Company’s contingency plan

for Brexit, with the establishment of a new airline in the United Kingdom, Wizz Air UK. Wizz Air UK received

its Air Operator’s Certificate and Operating Licence and started operating on 3 May 2018 further

demonstrating Wizz Air’s commitment to Europe’s single largest aviation market. As well as being part of the

Company’s Brexit contingency strategy, Wizz Air UK also presents the Company with additional commercial

opportunities arising from any future consolidation in the United Kingdom airline market. As at 31 March 2019,

Wizz Air UK operated a fleet of 9 aircraft based in London Luton Airport.

During F19, Wizz Air fleet grew past the milestone of 100 aircraft and the first game-changing Airbus A321neo

aircraft was delivered, a significant milestone for the Company. The Airbus A321neo is powered by Pratt &

Whitney GTF engines, features the widest single-aisle cabin with 239 seats in a single class configuration and

offers Wizz Air maximum flexibility, fuel efficiency and lowest possible operating costs. The Wizz Air fleet was

112 aircraft at the end of March. To sustain this growth, the Wizz Air Pilot Academy programme was rolled out

in Hungary, following the successful launch in Poland, Bulgaria and Romania earlier and a state-of-the-art pilot

and cabin crew Wizz Training Center was inaugurated in Budapest. The facility currently operates two full

motion simulators and can train up to 300 flight and cabin crew members on a daily basis.

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 35

GOVERNANCE

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE REPORT

CONTINUED

A COMPANY COMMITTED TO HIGH STANDARDS OF CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

Chairman’s statement on corporate governance

continued

With such significant developments taking place in the Company’s business, it is important the Board

continues to understand risks that have the potential to affect adversely the achievement of the Company’s

strategic objectives. The Company’s more structured enterprise risk management system has now been in

place for a full financial year, under the oversight of the Audit Committee. The Company’s Risk Council reports

to the Audit Committee on a quarterly basis, with the risk report being updated following meetings, facilitated

by Ernst & Young, between the Company’s Head of Internal Audit and individual risk owners, with periodic

updates then being given to the full Board.

Falling just after the end of F18, the Board took action to ensure that the aggregate shareholdings of a number

of shareholders who were not Qualifying Nationals, as defined in the Company’s Articles of Association, did

not exceed the Permitted Maximum, also as defined in the Company’s Articles of Association. Those measures

remain in place today but, again, this demonstrates that the Board is prepared to take decisive action to ensure

the protection of the Company’s interests and ongoing compliance with regulatory requirements. In addition

to such measures, based on a sector specific regulation issued by the European Union on 14 March 2019, the

Company has also developed a no-deal Brexit contingency plan aiming at ensuring its continuous compliance

with the ownership and control requirements should the United Kingdom leave the European Union without

a deal.

The Board thanks each and every one of our investors for the faith they have shown in the Company’s business

and, also, recognises the trust that the Shareholders have placed in the Board and senior management. Over

the course of the last year, a large number of meetings with investors were organised by senior management

and, in addition, I have also spoken to a number of Shareholders myself. Any concerns or comments raised

were fed back to the Board.

The Board has carried out an evaluation of its performance during the financial year ended 31 March 2018

through an internally facilitated process. The performance evaluation for the financial year ending 31 March

2019 has been externally facilitated through the appointment of an adviser.

Once again, I would stress that the trust that both investors and other stakeholders have placed in the Board

is not taken for granted. We will continue to develop our processes to ensure that our policy of ensuring high

standards of governance appropriate for the Company is maintained in the future and in a manner which is

appropriate for the Company’s continued fast rate of growth.

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 36

GOVERNANCE

COMPLIANCE WITH THE UK CORPORATE GOVERNANCE CODE

The Directors support high standards of corporate governance and it is the policy of the Company to comply

with current best practice in UK corporate governance to the extent appropriate for a company of its size. The

Board intends that the Company will comply fully with the requirements of the Corporate Governance Code

(July 2018) during the 2020 financial year, save as set out below:

 William A. Franke, the Chairman, does not meet the independence criteria set out in the Corporate

Governance Code (provision 10), given that he is the managing partner of Indigo. However, given the

benefits to the Company of his recognised experience in the airline industry, the Board believes that Mr

Franke should continue as Chairman.

The Board considers that it and the Company have, during the financial year ended 31 March 2019, complied

with the Corporate Governance Code (April 2016), save as set out in the 2018 Annual Report for the Group.

We welcomed the publication by the FRC of its new UK Corporate Governance Code in July 2018 and its focus

on the themes of corporate and board culture, stakeholder engagement and sustainability, which are critical

factors for us as we partner with our stakeholders to build an enduring business.

The Corporate Governance Code is available for review on the Financial Reporting Council's website:

www.frc.org.uk.

Our key Shareholders

As at 31 March 2019, the Company had been notified pursuant to DTR 5 of the Financial Conduct Authority’s

Disclosure Rules and Transparency Rules (DTRs) that the following Shareholders held more than 3.00 per cent.

of the Company’s issued Ordinary Shares:

Shareholder Reported shareholding Reported number of shares

Indigo Hungary LP 15.83 per cent. 11,515,509

FMR LLC 7.85 per cent. 5,713,122

The Capital Group Companies, Inc. 5.30 per cent. 3,855,647

FIL Investments International 5.29 per cent. 3,850,665

Indigo Maple Hill LP 4.79 per cent. 3,484,491

As at 23 May 2019, being the latest practicable date before the approval of the annual report and accounts,

the Company has not been notified of any changes to the interests stated above.

Changes in interests that have been notified to the Company pursuant to DTR 5 of the DTRs since 23 May 2018

can be found in the Regulatory News section of the Investor Relations page of the Company’s corporate

website: http://corporate.wizzair.com/en-GB/investor_relations/news/press_releases.

Our relationship with Indigo

On 31 March 2019, Indigo (Indigo Hungary LP and Indigo Maple Hill LP together) held 20.61 per cent. of the

Company’s issued Ordinary Shares, as well as 29,830,503 convertible shares of £0.0001 each in the capital of

the Company (“Convertible Shares”). The Convertible Shares do not have any right to participate in the

Company’s profits and are, save in very limited circumstances, non-voting. These limited circumstances include

the consideration of a resolution for the winding-up of the Company or the variation of the rights attaching to

the Convertible Shares or any variation of the rights attaching to the Ordinary Shares into which the

Convertible Shares may be converted.

Each Convertible Share may be converted into one Ordinary Share, as long as the ownership of the Company

remains compliant with applicable EU ownership and control rules. Indigo also holds a number of convertible

notes which may be converted into Ordinary Shares, again provided that the Company’s ownership remains

compliant with EU ownership and control rules. The terms of these convertible notes are governed by a note

purchase agreement dated 24 February 2015 and entered into between the Company, Wizz Air Hungary Ltd.

and Indigo. Our Chairman, William A. Franke, is the managing partner of Indigo.

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 37

GOVERNANCE

COMPLIANCE WITH THE UK CORPORATE GOVERNANCE CODE

CONTINUED

Our key Shareholders

continued

Our relationship with Indigo continued

According to the Financial Conduct Authority’s Listing Rules (the “Listing Rules”), any person who exercises

or controls the exercise, on their own or together with any person with whom they are acting in concert, of

30 per cent. or more of the votes able to be cast on all or substantially all matters at general meetings of a

company are known as “controlling shareholders”. During its preparation for its initial public offering in

February 2015, the Company discussed with the UK Listing Authority that, in the circumstances, Indigo would

be treated as a controlling shareholder of the Company for these purposes. The Listing Rules require

companies with controlling shareholders to enter into a written and legally binding agreement, which is

intended to ensure that the controlling shareholder complies with certain independence provisions. The

agreement must contain undertakings that:

a) transactions and arrangements with the controlling shareholder (and/or any of its associates) will be

conducted at arm’s length and on normal commercial terms;

b) neither the controlling shareholder nor any of its associates will take any action that would have the effect

of preventing the listed company from complying with its obligations under the Listing Rules; and

c) neither the controlling shareholder nor any of its associates will propose or procure the proposal of a

Shareholder resolution which is intended or appears to be intended to circumvent the proper application

of the Listing Rules.

Wizz Air entered into a relationship agreement with Indigo dated 24 February 2015. The key terms of this

relationship agreement are set out below.

Independence

Indigo has undertaken to exercise its voting powers in relation to the Company to ensure that the Company is

capable of operating and making decisions for the benefit of the Shareholders of the Company as a whole and

independently of Indigo at all times. In addition, Indigo has undertaken that it will not, and will procure that

none of its associates will: (a) take any action that would have the effect of preventing the Company from

complying with its obligations under the Listing Rules; and (b) propose or procure the proposal of a

Shareholder resolution which is intended or appears to be intended to circumvent the proper application of

the Listing Rules.

Board

Indigo may nominate: (a) three Directors to the Board if Indigo and its associates hold in excess of 30 per cent.

of the fully converted share capital of the Company (i.e. assuming the conversion in full of all Convertible

Shares and Convertible Notes); (b) two Directors to the Board if Indigo and its associates hold in excess of

20 per cent. of the fully converted share capital; or (c) one Director to the Board if Indigo and its associates

hold in excess of 10 per cent. of the fully converted share capital (each an “Indigo Director”). If Indigo and/or

its associates no longer hold at least 30, 20 or 10 per cent., respectively, of the fully converted share capital of

the Company, then Indigo has agreed to procure, insofar as it is legally able to do so, that the appropriate

number of Indigo Directors resigns from the Board unless a majority of the independent Directors resolve that

any Indigo Director should remain on the Board.

Indigo may not nominate any person to be an Indigo Director whose re-election has been proposed to, but

not approved by, the holders of Ordinary Shares in general meeting, or who has been removed from office by

a resolution of the holders of Ordinary Shares.

Indigo may also nominate one Indigo Director to each of the Audit Committee and the Remuneration

Committee until the earlier of: (a) twelve months from admission; or (b) Indigo and its associates ceasing to

hold at least 10 per cent. of the fully converted share capital of the Company.

The Board shall manage the Company independently of Indigo in accordance with the articles of association,

the Listing Rules and applicable law. The parties have also agreed that at least half of the Board (excluding the

Chairman) shall comprise independent Non-Executive Directors, the Nomination Committee shall consist of a

majority of independent Directors and, save as set out in the paragraph above, the Remuneration and Audit

Committees shall consist only of independent Directors.

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 38

GOVERNANCE

COMPLIANCE WITH THE UK CORPORATE GOVERNANCE CODE

CONTINUED

Our key Shareholders

continued

Our relationship with Indigo continued

Arm’s length transactions

All transactions and relationships between the Company and Indigo or any of their associates shall be

conducted at arm’s length, on a normal commercial basis and in accordance with the related party transaction

rules set out in Chapter 11 of the Listing Rules.

Provision of information and confidentiality

Indigo shall, subject to the Company’s obligations under all applicable laws (including, without limitation, the

Listing Rules and the DTRs), be provided with financial, management

and/or other information relating to

any member of the Group as Indigo (or any of its associates) may

reasonably require for the purposes

of any internal or external reporting requirements which the relevant

party is required by internal compliance,

law or regulation to make. Indigo may disclose any such financial, management and/or other information

to its associates

provided that: (a) Indigo will (and will procure that any associate to whom any information

is passed will) keep

confidential any such information; (b) such information does not include information

relating to any

transaction between the Company and Indigo or any of their associates obtained as a result

of an Indigo Director’s position as a Director; (c) disclosure would not result in the breach by the

Company of the

DTRs or require the Company to make a public announcement; and (d) the

name of such

persons to whom information is disclosed is added to the Company’s insider list.

Confirmation regarding compliance

The Board confirms that, since the entry into the relationship agreement, on 24 February 2015, until 30 May

2019, being the latest practicable date prior to the publication of this report:

a) the Company has complied with the independence provisions included in the relationship agreement;

and

b) so far as the Company is aware, the independence provisions included in the relationship agreement have

been complied with by Indigo.

Engaging with our Shareholders

Wizz Air recognises the need to engage with its Shareholders.

Over the course of the past year, the Company’s Investor Relations department has arranged a number of

roadshows, timed around the release of financial results, as well as other meetings with investors. At the 2018

annual general meeting, attended by all of the Directors, both the Chairman and the Senior Independent Non-

Executive Director, along with the Chairmen of the Audit Committee and the Remuneration Committee, were

available to answer questions from investors. The Chairman, the Senior Independent Non-Executive Director

and the Chairmen of the Audit Committee and the Remuneration Committee will be present at the 2019 annual

general meeting and, again, will be available to answer questions from investors.

A report on investor relations is presented by the Chief Financial Officer at each Board meeting, during which

feedback from meetings held by senior management with investors is provided. The Board is supplied with

copies of analysts’ and brokers’ briefings as they are received.

Reflecting the importance that the Company places on being transparent with its Shareholders, key

Shareholders were consulted on certain aspects of the Remuneration Policy set out on pages 58 to 62,

following the Shareholder vote and approval at the 2018 annual general meeting.

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 39

GOVERNANCE

MANAGEMENT OF THE COMPANY

The Board of Directors

Effective oversight of Wizz Air’s business is the key function of the Board. Key to this oversight is the approval

of the Company’s long-term strategy and commercial objectives and these matters are reserved to the Board,

along with the approval of annual operating and capital expenditure budgets and any changes thereto. Other

key areas also reserved to the Board include financial reporting and controls, internal controls, the review and

approval of key contracts, Board membership, the remuneration of Directors and senior executive employees,

corporate governance and the review of safety issues.

Board membership

Wizz Air’s Board currently comprises one Executive and 9 Non-Executive Directors, following the resignation

of John McMahon and Thierry de Preux and the appointment of Barry Eccleston, Peter Agnefjäll and Maria

Kyriacou during F19. Further, on 16 April 2019 John R. Wilson resigned from the Board and Andrew Broderick

was appointed. The current Directors bring a wealth of experience from both the worldwide aviation industry

as well as other international industries and so together bring to the Company an appropriate breadth, depth

and balance of skills, knowledge, experience and expertise. The Directors who have served during the 2019

financial year are:

Name Position Committee membership (as at 31 March 2019)

Executive Director

József Váradi Chief Executive Officer

Non-Executive Directors

William A. Franke Chairman Nomination Committee

Thierry de Preux** Non-Executive Director Remuneration Committee

Guido Demuynck Non-Executive Director Remuneration Committee

Simon Duffy Non-Executive Director,

Senior Independent Director

Audit Committee, Nomination Committee

Susan Hooper Non-Executive Director Audit Committee, Remuneration

Committee

Stephen L. Johnson Non-Executive Director

John McMahon* Non-Executive Director,

Senior Independent Director

Audit Committee, Nomination Committee

John R. Wilson

Barry Eccleston***

Peter Agnefjäll****

Maria Kyriacou*****

Non-Executive Director

Nomination Committee

Audit Committee

Remuneration Committee

* Resigned effective as of 24 July 2018.

** Resigned effective as of 25 September 2018.

*** Joined effective as of 1 June 2018.

**** Joined effective as of 24 July 2018.

*****Joined effective as of 25 September 2018.

William A. Franke, Chairman

Mr Franke has been Chairman of Wizz Air since 2004. The Chairman’s role is to lead the Board and ensure that

it operates effectively. Mr Franke is the founder and managing partner of Indigo, a private equity fund focused

on air transportation. He is currently chairman of Frontier Airlines, Inc and JetSMART SpA.. From 1998 to 2001,

Mr Franke was a managing partner of Newbridge Latin America, a private equity fund focused on Latin

America. Mr Franke was the chairman and chief executive officer of America West Airlines from 1993 to 2001,

and currently serves on the board of directors of Concesionaria Vuela Compañía de Aviación, S.A. de C.V., a

Mexican airline that does business as Volaris and is Chairman of EnerJet, a Canadian start-up airline. He served

as chairman of Spirit Airlines Inc., a United States airline, from 2006 to 2013 and Tiger Aviation Pte. Ltd, a

Singapore-based airline, from 2004 to 2009, and held directorships in Alpargatas S.A.I.C., an Argentina-based

footwear and textiles manufacturer, from 1996 to 2007, and Phelps Dodge Corporation, a mining company,

where he served as the lead outside director for several years, from 1980 to 2007. He has in the past served

on a number of publicly listed company boards of directors including ON Semiconductor, Valley National

Corporation, Southwest Forest Industries and the Circle K Corporation. Mr Franke has both undergraduate

and law degrees from Stanford University and an honorary PhD from Northern Arizona University. Mr Franke

was the 2019 recipient of the Excellence in Leadership Award at the 45th ATW Airline Industry Achievement

Awards.

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 40

GOVERNANCE

MANAGEMENT OF THE COMPANY

CONTINUED

The Board of Directors

continued

Board membership continued

József Váradi, Chief Executive Officer

Mr Váradi was one of the founders of Wizz Air in 2003. Mr Váradi worked at Procter & Gamble for ten years

between 1991 and 2001, and became sales director for global customers where he was responsible for major

clients throughout eleven EU countries. He then joined Malév Hungarian Airlines, the Hungarian state airline,

as chief commercial officer in 2001, before serving as its chief executive officer from 2001 to 2003. He is

currently a non-executive director of JetSMART SpA and he also held board memberships with companies

such as Lufthansa Technik Budapest (Supervisory Board, 2001–2003) and Mandala Airlines (Board of

Commissioners, 2007–2011). Mr Váradi won the Ernst & Young Hungary “Brave Innovator” award in 2007 and

the “Entrepreneur Of The Year” award in 2017. Mr Váradi holds a master’s degree in economics from the

Budapest University of Economic Sciences and a master’s degree in law from the University of London.

Guido Demuynck, Non-Executive Director

Mr Demuynck joined the Board in February 2014. Mr Demuynck spent more than 25 years with Koninklijke

Philips N.V., holding various roles including general manager, portable audio business line, general manager,

audio business group and Marantz, and chief executive, consumer electronics (as a member of the group

management committee of Royal Philips Electronics and senior vice president). He then held the positions of

board member, responsible for the mobile division, at KPN (Koninklijke) N.V. and chief executive of Kroymans

Corporation B.V. and Liquavista B.V.. Mr Demuynck was a member of the supervisory board and chairman of

the remuneration committee of TomTom N.V. and of Divitel Holding B.V.. He is a member of the board of

directors, member of the remuneration committee and chairman of the audit committee of Proximus N.V.

(previously Belgacom), a member of the supervisory board of Teleplan International N.V. and Aito B.V.. Mr

Demuynck has a master’s degree in applied economics (magna cum laude) from the University of Antwerp

and a master’s degree in marketing and distribution (magna cum laude) from the University of Ghent.

Simon Duffy, Non-Executive Director

Mr Duffy joined the Board in January 2014. Mr Duffy started his career at NM Rothschild & Sons Ltd and has

held positions at Shell International Petroleum Co, Bain & Co, Consolidated Gold Fields Plc, Guinness Plc, Thorn

EMI Plc (where he held the position of deputy chairman and group finance director), World Online International

B.V. (where he held the position of deputy chairman and chief executive), End2End AS (where he held the

position of chief executive), Orange SA (where he held the position of chief financial officer), NTL:Telewest

Inc. (where he held the position of executive vice chairman) and Tradus Plc (where he held the position of

executive chairman). Mr Duffy has extensive London Stock Exchange non-executive director experience. He

has sat on the board of, amongst others, Gartmore Plc, HMV Group Plc, GWR Group Plc and Imperial Tobacco

Plc. He is currently chairman of You View TV Ltd., which is a joint venture between British Telecom, TalkTalk

and all the leading broadcasters in the United Kingdom. He is a non-executive director of Modern Times Group

AB, one of Europe’s largest broadcasting companies listed on the Stockholm Exchange, and of Telit

Communications Plc, a leading company in the IoT (internet of things) sector listed in London. He is chairman

of the audit committee at both companies. Mr Duffy has a BA in philosophy, politics and economics from

Oxford University and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Susan Hooper, Non-Executive Director

Ms Hooper was appointed to the Board of Directors as a Non-Executive Director in March 2016 and serves on

Wizz Air's Audit and Remuneration Committees. A UK national, Ms Hooper was managing director of British

Gas Services, leading the service and repair, central heating installations, electrical services and Dyno-Rod

business units until November 2014. She joined British Gas from the Acromas Group, where she was chief

executive of the travel division, responsible for Saga holidays and hotels, Saga cruises, Spirit of Adventure

cruises, Titan Travel and the travel division of the AA. Previously, Ms Hooper held senior roles at Royal

Caribbean International, Avis Europe, PepsiCo International, McKinsey & Company and Saatchi & Saatchi.

During her time with PepsiCo International, Ms Hooper spent over five years based in Central and Eastern

European countries. She is currently a non-executive director of Affinity Water Ltd. and The Rank Group plc,

as well as being an advisory board member of LUISS Business School in Rome. Ms Hooper recently became

non-executive board member of the Department for Exiting the European Union (DExEU) of the UK. From

2011 to 2014 she was a non-executive director of Whitbread PLC and has held several other non-executive

directorships, including at First Choice plc, Transcom SA, Royal and Sun Alliance Group plc and Courtaulds

Textiles Plc. Ms Hooper is currently a non-executive director of Uber UK, Affinity Water Ltd., The Rank Group

plc and the Department for Exiting the EU (DExEU).

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 41

GOVERNANCE

MANAGEMENT OF THE COMPANY

CONTINUED

The Board of Directors

continued

Board membership continued

Stephen L. Johnson, Non-Executive Director

Mr Johnson joined the Board in 2004, left the Board in 2009 and was re-appointed as a Non-Executive Director

in 2011. Mr Johnson is executive vice president, corporate affairs for American Airlines Group Inc. and its

principal subsidiary, American Airlines, Inc. Previously, Mr Johnson served as executive vice president,

corporate and government affairs for US Airways. Prior to joining US Airways in 2009, Mr Johnson was a

partner at Indigo from 2003 to 2009. Between 1995 and 2003, Mr Johnson held a variety of positions with

America West Holdings Corporation prior to its merger with US Airways Group, including executive vice

president, corporate. Prior to joining America West, Mr Johnson served as senior vice president and general

counsel at GPA Group plc, an aircraft leasing company, and as an attorney at Seattle-based law firm Bogle &

Gates, where he specialised in corporate and aircraft finance and taxation. Mr Johnson earned his MBA and

Juris Doctor from the University of California, Berkeley, and a bachelor of arts in economics from California

State University, Sacramento.

John R. Wilson, Non-Executive Director

Mr Wilson has been a member of the Board since 2005 and a principal of Indigo since 2004. Mr Wilson is a

member of the board of directors of Frontier Airlines, Inc., together with its holding companies, Frontier Airlines

Holdings, Inc. and Frontier Group Holdings, Inc. Mr. Wilson is also a member of the board of directors of

JetSMART SpA.. Prior to joining Indigo he served at America West Airlines from 1997 to 2004 as the vice

president of financial planning and analysis, vice president of operations finance and in other senior finance

positions. From 1991 to 1997 he was employed by Northwest Airlines where he last served as director of finance

for Asian operations based in Tokyo, Japan. Mr Wilson served on the board of Spirit Airlines Inc. from 2009 to

2013 and served on the board of Vuela Compañía de Aviación, S.A.P.I. de C.V. from 2010 to 2012. Mr Wilson

has an MBA from the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia and an undergraduate degree in

finance from Texas Tech University. John retired from the board in April 2019.

Peter Agnefjäll, Non-Executive Director

Mr. Agnefjäll joined the Board in July 2018. A Swedish national, Mr. Agnefjäll was the President and Chief

Executive Officer of IKEA Group from 2013 to 2017. Following his graduation as a Master of Business

Administration from the University of Linköping in 1995, Mr. Agnefjäll joined IKEA's trainee programme in 1995

and he was subsequently promoted a number of times within the group, including to roles acting as the

assistant to former Chief Executive Officers as well as the founder of IKEA, Ingvar Kamprad before finally being

promoted to President and Chief Executive Officer. Peter serves on the board of directors of Orkla ASA, a

leading supplier of branded consumer goods listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange. In addition to that he serves

on the advisory board of Deichmann Group, a family owned European footwear retailer, and on the supervisory

board of Ahold Delhaize, a Dutch retail group listed on Euronext.

Andrew S. Broderick, Non-Executive Director

Mr. Broderick joined the Board in April 2019. Mr. Broderick has been a Director of Indigo Partners LLC since

July 2008. Mr. Broderick has served on the board of directors of Frontier Airlines Holdings, Inc., an airline based

in the United States, since January 2018 and JetSMART Airlines SpA, an airline based in Chile, since September

2018. Additionally, he has served as an alternate on the board of directors for Concesionaria Vuela Compañía

de Aviación, S.A.B. de C.V., an airline based in Mexico doing business as Volaris, since July 2010. Prior to joining

Indigo, Mr. Broderick was employed at a macroeconomic hedge fund and a stock-option valuation firm. Mr.

Broderick holds a B.S. in Economics and a B.A. in Spanish from Arizona State University and a Masters of

Business Administration from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.

Barry Eccleston, Non-Executive Director

Mr. Eccleston joined the Board in May 2018. A British national, Mr. Eccleston recently retired as Chief Executive

Officer of Airbus Americas Inc., where he was responsible for all aspects of Airbus' commercial airplanes

business in North America, a position he held since 2005. Prior to this, Mr. Eccleston was VP/GM for

Honeywell's Propulsion Systems Enterprise and had earlier served as Honeywell's VP Commercial Aerospace

for Europe, Middle East and Africa. Before joining Honeywell in 2002, he was Executive VP of Fairchild Dornier

Corporation, a provider of Regional Aircraft. He started his career with Rolls Royce where he held several

senior positions, culminating as CEO of International Aero Engines, a joint venture with Pratt & Whitney. Mr

Eccleston holds a bachelor's degree in Aeronautical Engineering from Loughborough University and

completed the International Executive Program at the IMD in Lausanne, and holds an Honorary Doctorate from

Vaughn College of Aeronautics. He past Chairman of the British-American Business Association in Washington

DC., past President of The Wings Club of New York, and has served on the Boards of other industry

Associations. He is currently an outside director of FLYHT Aerospace Solutions Ltd, a Canadian public

company, and a past outside director at Vector Aerospace Corporation in Canada. In Her Majesty The Queen's

New Year 2019 Honours List, Mr. Eccleston was appointed an O.B.E.

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 42

GOVERNANCE

MANAGEMENT OF THE COMPANY

CONTINUED

The Board of Directors

continued

Board membership continued

Maria Kyriacou, Non-Executive Director

Ms. Kyriacou joined the board as an independent non-executive member in September 2018 and appointed as

an additional member of the Remuneration Committee with effect from 25th September 2018. Ms. Kyriacou

started her career with PwC in their audit and advisory division, before joining the finance team at The Walt

Disney Company. She held a number of positions with The Walt Disney Company over a 15 year term

culminating in the role of Senior Vice President Digital Media Distribution EMEA. In 2010, Ms. Kyriacou was

recruited by ITV Studios as Managing Director of Global Entertainment, becoming Managing Director of Global

Entertainment and Rest of World Studios before being promoted into her current role in 2016 where she leads

a multi-discipline divisional executive team. A joint British and Cypriot national, Ms. Kyriacou is currently

President International ITV Studios, part of ITV plc. Maria oversees ITV Studios’ production companies across

Europe and Australia, its growing US scripted business, plus international distribution arm ITV Studios Global

Entertainment (ITVS GE).

Independence

The UK Corporate Governance Code recommends that at least half the members (excluding the chairman) of

the board of directors of a company with a premium listing should be non-executive directors, determined by

the board to be independent in character and judgment and free from relationships or circumstances which

are likely to affect, or could appear to affect, their judgment.

The Board has considered the independence of the Company’s Non-Executive Directors and has

concluded that:

a) William A. Franke, the Chairman, does not meet the independence criteria set out in the Corporate

Governance Code, given that he is the managing partner of Indigo (a significant Shareholder). However,

given the benefits to the Company of his recognised experience in the airline industry, the Board believes

that it is in the Company’s best interest that Mr Franke should continue as Chairman of Wizz Air.

b) Stephen L. Johnson is not considered to be an independent Non-Executive Director given his past

position with Indigo.

c) John R. Wilson is not considered to be an independent Non-Executive Director as he is a principal of Indigo.

John R. Wilson retired from the Board as of 16 April 2019.

d) Although not relevant for FY19, Andrew Broderick, who was appointed effective from 16 April 2019 is not

considered to be an independent Non-Executive Director as he is a director of Indigo.

Other than William A. Franke, John R. Wilson, Andrew Broderick and Stephen L. Johnson, the Company regards

all of its Non-Executive Directors, namely, Guido Demuynck, Simon Duffy, Susan Hooper, Barry Eccleston,

Peter Agnefjäll, Maria Kyriacou, as independent Non-Executive Directors within the meaning of “independent”

as defined in the Corporate Governance Code and free from any business or other relationship which could

materially interfere with the exercise of their independent judgment. Accordingly, as an absolute majority of

the Directors are independent Non-Executive Directors, the Company complies with the requirement of the

Corporate Governance Code that at least half of the board (excluding the chairman) of a company with a

premium listing should comprise independent non-executive directors.

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 43

GOVERNANCE

MANAGEMENT OF THE COMPANY

CONTINUED

The Board of Directors

continued

Senior Independent Non-Executive Director

The Corporate Governance Code recommends that the Board should appoint one of its independent

Non-Executive Directors as the Senior Independent Non-Executive Director. The Senior Independent

Non-Executive Director should be available to Shareholders if they have concerns that contact through

the normal channels of the Chairman or Chief Executive Officer has failed to resolve or where such contact

is inappropriate. After John McMahon retired in July 2018, Simon Duffy has been appointed as the Company’s

Senior Independent Non-Executive Director.

Independent Non-Executive Director overseeing engagement with employees

In order to strengthen workforce engagement, Wizz Air has decided to appoint an independent non-executive

director to oversee engagement with employees. Mr. Barry Eccleston, who joined the Board of Wizz Air

Holdings Plc on 1 June 2018, was appointed as independent non-executive director overseeing engagement

with employees from 1 January 2019.

In his role, Mr. Eccleston ensures the employee voice reaches the boardroom. As at 31 March 2019, Mr.

Eccleston has visited three of the largest bases in Wizz Air network, has attended sessions of the Wizz People

Council, has organized a meeting between all Wizz People Council members and the Board, has delivered

floor talks to Wizz Air office employees and has reported back to the Board.

Senior management team

To reflect the Company’s growth and structural evolution, effective from 1 January 2019, organizational

changes took place with the objectives of enhancing the leadership capacity and strengthening the Group’s

corporate governance structure. In that respect, József Váradi was appointed to Group Chief Executive Officer

at Wizz Air Holdings Plc, assuming responsibility for the overall operations of the Company that include Wizz

Air Hungary Ltd. and Wizz Air UK Ltd. At the same time, Stephen Jones was appointed Deputy Chief Executive

Officer and Managing Director of Wizz Air Hungary Ltd. Owain Jones was appointed as Managing Director of

Wizz Air UK Ltd. on 1 September 2018.

The Group Chief Executive Officer and the senior management team are responsible for the management of

the Group’s business and implementation of the Group’s strategy on a day-to-day basis.

As at 30 May 2019, the Group’s senior management team, in addition to the Group Chief Executive Officer, is:

Wizz Air Holdings Plc:

Name Position

Diederik Pen

Marion Geoffroy

Executive Vice President and

Group Chief Operations Officer

Chief Corporate Officer

Wizz Air Hungary Limited:

Name Position

Stephen Jones Deputy Chief Executive Officer and

Managing Director

Iain Wetherall Chief Financial Officer

Johan Eidhagen Chief People and Marketing Officer

Heiko Holm Chief Operations Officer

George Michalopoulos

Joel Goldberg

András Sebők

Chief Commercial Officer

Chief Digital Officer

Chief Supply Chain Officer

Wizz Air UK Limited:

Name Position

Owain Jones Managing Director

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 44

GOVERNANCE

MANAGEMENT OF THE COMPANY

CONTINUED

Senior management team

continued

Stephen Jones, Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director

Mr. Jones joined Wizz Air in October 2017 as Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Executive Vice President and

was appointed to Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director as of 1 January 2019. Mr Jones, who

is a national of both New Zealand and the United Kingdom, was the Chief Strategy, Network and Alliances

Officer at Air New Zealand since 2013 during which time he was responsible for the airline's overall corporate

strategy, network development, alliances and sustainability. He oversaw the airline's tightly cost-managed

response to significant domestic competition from low cost carriers as well as the turnaround of the airline's

international business in the face of severe competition from many Asian, Middle Eastern and low cost carriers

in the trans-Tasman market, one of the most competitive markets in the world. Prior to this role, Mr Jones held

a number of other roles in Air New Zealand, including general manager of their low cost carrier Freedom Air,

general manager of the airline's domestic business unit and Tasman and Pacific Islands business unit as well as

general manager of investor relations and financial planning, following the airline's recapitalization in 2003. He

also served as Chairman of the Star Alliance Management Board and the Star Alliance Strategy Committee.

Diederik Pen, Executive Vice President and Group Chief Operations Officer

Mr Pen joined Wizz Air in January 2013 as Chief Operations Officer, becoming Accountable Manager in

September 2013. He was promoted to Executive Vice President and Chief Operations Officer in April 2017 and

to Executive Vice President and Group Chief Operations Officer in January 2019. Prior to joining Martinair

Holland in 2006, Mr Pen worked for Virgin Blue Airlines in Australia from 2002 to 2006 as head of ground

operations, for Brisbane Airport Corporation in Australia as general manager of commercial services and for

Amsterdam Airport Schiphol as manager of commercial services. Mr Pen has a master of business

administration in business economics from the University of Amsterdam.

Iain Wetherall, Chief Financial Officer

Mr. Wetherall joined Wizz Air in July 2011 as Head of Corporate Finance and, following the Company's initial

public offering in 2015, he also led the Company's investor relations function before taking on the Head of

Financial Planning & Control and Investor Relations in September 2016. Mr. Wetherall was promoted to Chief

Financial Officer with effect from August 2017 responsible for the accounting and tax, financial planning and

controlling and corporate finance organizations. He is a chartered accountant, holds an Advanced Treasury

Diploma from the Association of Corporate Treasurers, a Securities and Investment Diploma from the

Chartered Institute for Securities and Investments and was a Securities Representative authorized by the

Securities and Futures Authority (now Financial Conduct Authority). Prior to Wizz Air, Mr. Wetherall gained

experience in tax & treasury, corporate finance, mergers & acquisitions, accounting, audit, corporate

governance, internal control and consulting in various finance roles for Royal Ahold, PricewaterhouseCoopers,

KPMG and Singer & Friedlander Bank Limited.

Johan Eidhagen, Chief People and Marketing Officer

Mr. Eidhagen joined Wizz Air in January 2015 as Head of Brand and Marketing and was appointed Chief

Marketing Officer effective 1 February 2016 and Chief People and Marketing Officer effective 1 April 2019.

Before joining Wizz Air Mr Eidhagen built an extensive sales and marketing career at Nokia, holding several

senior global and regional marketing positions. He joined Nokia in 1998 from a background in retail and was

head of marketing for the Nordic region until 2004, when he moved to Nokia HQ in Finland to run global

marketing services for the entertainment category. Between 2005 and 2007 he was based in New York as the

director of marketing for Nokia Multimedia in North America before returning to Finland where he was director

and head of marketing for the Nokia Nseries Category. In 2009 he became country manager for Nokia in

Sweden and was appointed as managing director for the Scandinavian region in 2011. Mr Eidhagen is a native

of Stockholm and is a DIHM marketing graduate from the IHM Business School in Stockholm.

Heiko Holm, Chief Operations Officer

Mr. Holm joined Wizz Air in 2015 as Head of Technical Services. Mr. Holm graduated from the University of

Applied Sciences in Hamburg, Germany as an Engineer specialized in Aircraft Construction and Design and

went on to build a successful career with Lufthansa Technik, ultimately becoming the Director of Operations

for Lufthansa Technik in Shenzhen, China, from where he joined Wizz Air.

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 45

GOVERNANCE

MANAGEMENT OF THE COMPANY

CONTINUED

Senior management team

continued

Owain Jones, Managing Director, Wizz Air UK

Mr. Jones joined Wizz Air as General Counsel in 2010, was promoted to Chief Corporate Officer in June 2014

and appointed as Managing Director of Wizz Air UK in September 2018. Mr Jones is a solicitor of the Supreme

Court of England and Wales. Having trained at Nicholson Graham & Jones (1994 to 1996), Mr Jones joined

Wilde Sapte (now Dentons LLP) in 1996 as a solicitor in its aviation group, specialising in finance and regulatory

matters. He spent time in the firm’s Paris and Hong Kong offices before being appointed a partner in 2006,

following which he spent three years in the firm’s Abu Dhabi office, becoming acting managing partner of the

office. He left the firm in 2009 to spend 18 months training for a frozen air transport pilot’s licence with CTC

Aviation Training. Mr Jones holds a bachelor of laws degree from University College London.

George Michalopoulos, Chief Commercial Officer

Mr. Michalopoulos joined Wizz Air in 2010 as Head of Pricing and Revenue Management and was then

promoted to Head of Network Development, Scheduling and Sales in May 2015. Prior to Wizz Air,

Mr Michalopoulos built an extensive commercial and revenue career at Flybaboo and Blu-Express.

Mr Michalopoulos holds both Bachelor and Master of Science degrees in Management Science and Engineering

from Stanford University.

András Sebők, Chief Supply Chain Officer

Mr. Sebők was one of the first employees of Wizz Air, joining in 2004 as Head of Treasury and Controlling and

spending 15 years building an extensive career with the airline, overseeing various financial functions such as

Treasury, Financial Planning and Controlling, Fleet Acquisition and Corporate Finance. Mr. Sebők was

promoted to Chief Supply Chain Officer with effect from 1 April 2019 responsible for fleet acquisition, airport

development, purchasing and facility management. Before joining Wizz Mr. Sebők worked in various positions

in finance including being the CFO of Aeroplex Central Europe. Mr. Sebők is Hungarian and holds a degree in

Banking, Corporate Finance and Securities Law from Eötvös Loránd University.

Joel Goldberg, Chief Digital Officer

Mr. Goldberg joined Wizz Air in October 2018 as Chief Digital Officer, a newly created position. Mr. Goldberg

is responsible for Wizz Air’s E-commerce, Data Analytics and Automation, IT Innovation and IT Infrastructure

and Services functions reporting to the company’s Deputy Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Goldberg was formerly

Senior Director Technology, Europe for Nike. Prior to this role, Mr. Goldberg worked in executive IT roles at

various multinational companies including G4S, APMaersk and DHL Express.

Marion Geoffroy, Chief Corporate Officer

Ms. Geoffroy joined Wizz Air as Head of Legal and General Counsel in March 2015. Between 2000 and 2011,

Ms. Geoffroy held senior leadership roles in the Legal department of Air France-KLM. In 2011, she joined

Verlingue Insurance Brokers where she served as General Counsel for 4 years. She was appointed Chief

Corporate Officer in September 2018 overseeing the Legal, Data Protection and Health and Safety

departments and also assumes the responsibility of Corporate Secretary. Ms. Geoffroy holds a Master of Laws

(LL.M.) from Paris XI University (France), a Lawyer-Linguist Master from ISIT (Paris, France), a law degree from

Philipps University (Marburg, Germany) and a Master of Laws (LL.M.) from McGill University Institute of Air and

Space Law (Montreal, Canada).

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 46

GOVERNANCE

MANAGEMENT OF THE COMPANY

CONTINUED

Board Committees

The Directors have established an Audit Committee, a Remuneration Committee and a Nomination

Committee. The terms of reference of the Committees have been drawn up in accordance with the provisions

of the Corporate Governance Code. A summary of the terms of reference of the Committees is set out below.

Each Committee and each Director has the authority to seek independent professional advice where necessary

to discharge their respective duties, in each case at the Company’s expense.

Audit Committee

The Audit Committee’s duties, as set out in its terms of reference, include:

a) monitoring the integrity of the financial statements of the Company, including its annual and semi-annual

reports, interim management statements, preliminary results announcements and any other formal

announcement relating to its financial performance;

b) reviewing significant financial reporting issues and judgments which they contain having regard to

matters communicated to it by the auditors;

c) where requested by the Board, reviewing the content of the annual report and accounts and advising the

Board on whether, taken as a whole, it is fair, balanced and understandable and provides the information

necessary for Shareholders to assess the Company’s performance, business model and strategy;

d) keeping under review the adequacy and effectiveness of the Company’s internal financial controls and

internal control and risk management systems;

e) reviewing the adequacy and security of the Company’s arrangements for its employees and contractors

to raise concerns, in confidence, about possible wrongdoing in financial reporting or other matters. The

Audit Committee shall ensure that these arrangements allow proportionate and independent

investigation of such matters and appropriate follow-up action;

f) monitoring and reviewing the effectiveness of the Company’s Internal Audit function in the context of the

Company’s overall risk management system;

g) considering and approving the remit of the Internal Audit function and ensuring it has adequate resources

and appropriate access to information to enable it to perform its function effectively and in accordance

with the relevant professional standards. The Audit Committee shall also ensure the Internal Audit

function has adequate standing and is free from management or other restrictions;

h) meeting the Company’s head of the Internal Audit function at least once a year, without management

being present, to discuss its remit and any issues arising from the internal audits carried out. In addition,

the Audit Committee shall ensure that the Company’s head of the Internal Audit function has the right of

direct access to the Chairman, the Audit Committee Chairman and the rest of the Audit Committee, and

is accountable to the Audit Committee;

i) considering and making recommendations to the Board, to be put to Shareholders for approval at the

annual general meeting, in relation to the appointment, re-appointment and removal of the Company’s

external auditors. The Audit Committee shall oversee the selection process for new auditors and if

auditors resign the Audit Committee shall investigate the issues leading to this and decide whether any

action is required;

j) overseeing the relationship with the external auditors including (but not limited to):

I. assessing annually their independence and objectivity taking into account relevant UK professional

and regulatory requirements and the relationship with the external auditors as a whole, including the

provision of any non-audit services; and

II. satisfying itself that there are no relationships (such as family, employment, investment, financial or

business) between the external auditors and the Company (other than in the ordinary course of

business) which could adversely affect the auditors’ independence and objectivity;

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 47

GOVERNANCE

MANAGEMENT OF THE COMPANY

CONTINUED

Board Committees

continued

Audit Committee continued

k) meeting regularly with the external auditors, including once at the planning stage before the audit and

once after the audit at the reporting stage. The Audit Committee shall meet the external auditors at least

once a year, without management being present, to discuss their remit and any issues arising from the

audit;

l) reviewing and approving the annual audit plan and ensuring that it is consistent with the scope of the

audit engagement having regard to the seniority, expertise and experience of the audit team; and

m) reviewing the findings of the audit with the external auditors. This shall include but not be limited to

the following:

I. a discussion of any major issues which arose during the audit;

II. any accounting and audit judgments;

III. levels of errors identified during the audit; and

IV. the effectiveness of the audit process.

The Corporate Governance Code recommends that the Audit Committee should comprise at least three

members, who should all be independent Non-Executive Directors, and that at least one member should have

recent and relevant financial experience. During the financial year ended 31 March 2019, the membership of

the Company’s Audit Committee comprised three members, namely Simon Duffy, Susan Hooper and

John McMahon followed by Peter Agnefjäll upon retirement of John McMahon, all of whom are independent

Non-Executive Directors. No members of the Audit Committee have links with the Company’s external

auditors. Mr Duffy is considered by the Board to have recent and relevant financial experience and is Chairman

of the Audit Committee.

The Company therefore considers that it complies with the Corporate Governance Code recommendation

regarding the composition of the Audit Committee.

The Audit Committee formally meets at least three times per year and otherwise as required. The Chief

Executive Officer, other Directors and representatives from the Finance function of the Company may attend

and speak at meetings of the Audit Committee. The Company’s external auditors and the Chief Financial

Officer are invited to attend meetings of the Audit Committee on a regular basis. The Company’s Head of

Internal Audit, along with the retained external firm of internal auditors, also attend the Audit Committee’s

meetings to report on internal audit matters. Following each meeting, the Chairman of the Audit Committee

reports to the Board on the significant items discussed during the Audit Committee’s meeting. The Audit

Committee met on eight occasions during the 2019 financial year (including telephonic meetings). In addition

to the formal meetings, the Audit Committee is in regular contact with relevant management in connection

with, for example, the implementation of the Group’s hedging strategy.

Remuneration Committee

The Remuneration Committee is responsible for setting the Remuneration Policy for all Executive Directors

and the Chairman, including pension rights and any compensation payments, and recommending and

monitoring the remuneration of the senior managers. Non-Executive Directors’ fees are determined by the full

Board.

The objective of the Company’s Remuneration Policy is to attract, retain and motivate executive management

of the quality required to run the Company successfully without paying more than is necessary, having regard

to the views of Shareholders and other stakeholders.

The Remuneration Committee is also responsible for making recommendations for the grants of awards under

the Company’s share option schemes. In accordance with the Remuneration Committee’s terms of reference,

no Director may participate in discussions relating to his own terms and conditions of remuneration.

The Corporate Governance Code provides that the Remuneration Committee should comprise at least three

members, all of whom should be independent Non-Executive Directors. During the financial year ended 31

March 2019, the membership of the Company’s Remuneration Committee comprised three members, namely

Guido Demuynck, Susan Hooper and Thierry de Preux followed by Maria Kyriacou upon retirement of Thierry

de Preux, all of whom are independent Non-Executive Directors. The Chairman of the Remuneration

Committee is Mr Demuynck.

The Company therefore considers that it complies with the Corporate Governance Code recommendations

regarding the composition of the Remuneration Committee.

The Remuneration Committee meets formally at least twice each year and otherwise as required. There were

seven meetings of the Remuneration Committee during the 2019 financial year.

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 48

GOVERNANCE

MANAGEMENT OF THE COMPANY

CONTINUED

Board Committees

continued

Nomination Committee

The Nomination Committee assists the Board in discharging its responsibilities relating to the composition of

the Board. The Nomination Committee is responsible for evaluating the balance of skills, knowledge and

experience on the Board, the size, structure and composition of the Board, and retirements and appointments

of additional and replacement Directors, and will make appropriate recommendations to the Board on such

matters. While a number of Directors were initially appointed to the Board under investor appointment rights,

the most recent appointments were conducted through Korn/Ferry, which has no other connections with the

Company.

The Corporate Governance Code provides that a majority of the members of the Nomination Committee

should be independent Non-Executive Directors. The Company’s Nomination Committee is comprised of three

members, namely William A. Franke, Simon Duffy and John McMahon followed by Barry Eccleston upon

retirement of John McMahon. The Chairman of the Nomination Committee is Mr Franke. The Company

therefore considers that it complies with the Corporate Governance Code’s recommendations regarding the

composition of the Nomination Committee.

The Company recognises the importance to the Company of diversity, including gender equality. The

Company’s Code of Ethics is unequivocal that discriminatory practices will not be tolerated and that people

will be judged on the basis of their performance and ability to do their jobs and not on any other basis. The

Nomination Committee will work further to ensure that, when the opportunity presents itself, diversity is

properly reflected in the Board and in the Company’s senior management. The Company believes that this

commitment is demonstrated by recent appointments at both Director and senior management level.

The Nomination Committee is scheduled to meet formally at least twice a year and otherwise as required.

There were six meetings of the Nomination Committee during the 2019 financial year and, in between these

meetings, members of the Nomination Committee advised senior management on the appointment of Non-

Executive Directors and on various senior management appointments, including the Chief Digital Officer.

Interviews of candidates for each of these positions were also conducted by the members of the Nomination

Committee. Candidates for the Non-Executive Directors were interviewed by the members of the Nomination

Committee.

Attendance at Board meetings

The following table sets out the attendance by Director at the Board and Committee meetings held during the

2019 financial year.

Board

attended/total

Audit

attended/total

Remuneration

attended/total

Nomination

attended/total

Executive Director

József Váradi 8/8 8/8* 7/7* 6/6*

Non-Executive Directors

William A. Franke 8/8 -

- 6/6

Guido Demuynck 8/8 - 7/7 -

Simon Duffy 8/8 8/8 - 6/6

Thierry de Preux* 3/3 - 3/3 -

Susan Hooper 8/8 8/8 7/7 -

Stephen L. Johnson 7/8 - - -

John McMahon** 2/2 3/3 - 2/2

John R. Wilson 7/8 - - -

Barry Eccleston*** 7/7 - - 5/5

Peter Agnefjäll**** 7/7 6/6 - -

Maria Kyriacou***** 6/6 - 4/5 -

* The Executive Director was invited to attend these various Committee meetings in order to discuss certain matters but did

not have a vote. Occasionally also Non-Executive Directors attend meetings of Committees that they are not a member of –

these cases are not reflected in this table.

* Resigned effective as of 25 September 2018.

** Resigned effective as of 24 July 2018.

*** Joined effective as of 1 June 2018.

**** Joined effective as of 24 July 2018.

*****Joined effective as of 25 September 2018.

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 49

GOVERNANCE

MANAGEMENT OF THE COMPANY

CONTINUED

Board procedures

At least five Board meetings are scheduled during each financial year. At these meetings, the Directors meet

with Senior Executives to receive detailed updates on Wizz Air’s business and operations and to discuss the

Company’s strategy. Prior to these meetings, each Director receives an information pack containing a

comprehensive review of the Company’s business as well as detailed proposals for approval of transactions

and developments falling within the Board’s remit. The Company believes that this enables each Director

properly to discharge his or her responsibilities. At each Board meeting, Directors who have a conflict of

interest in any agenda item declare that interest and are not entitled to vote on that agenda item.

A number of key strategic and commercial decisions require Board approval and, as and when any such

decision is needed outside the scheduled meeting cycle, an ad hoc telephone Board meeting may be arranged.

In general, therefore, it is anticipated that there will be around ten Board meetings in total during each

financial year.

Newly appointed Non-Executive Directors meet with the Company’s senior management and visit Wizz Air’s

operational headquarters to ensure that they have a thorough understanding of the Company’s business.

Wizz Air maintains directors’ and officers’ liability insurance. This insurance covers any claim that may be

brought against the Directors in the exercise of their duties.

The Company has adopted a Share Dealing Policy that reflects and incorporates the provisions of the UK

Listing Authority’s Model Code. As a consequence, the Directors as well as certain designated employees must

obtain clearance from the Company’s Chairman before dealing in the Company’s shares and are prohibited

from dealing at all during certain periods as set out in the Model Code. The Share Dealing Policy was updated

to reflect the requirements of the EU Market Abuse Regulation which came into effect on 3 July 2016.

Finally, it is proposed that, in accordance with the recommendations of the UK Corporate Governance Code,

all Directors will offer themselves for re-election at the 2019 annual general meeting.

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 50

GOVERNANCE

REPORT OF THE CHAIRMAN OF THE AUDIT COMMITTEE

Wizz Air has grown significantly and successfully as a result, in part, of constantly re-examining the way it does

things and ensuring that its business is run to the best possible standards. The work of the Audit Committee

during the 2019 financial year continued to reflect this philosophy. As well as the continued engagement on

day-to-day financial issues, including further discussion on hedging strategy and approval of hedging

transactions, the Audit Committee also has oversight of the Company’s system for enterprise risk management

(ERM), to ensure that the Company’s risk management processes continue to provide robust support for its

future growth.

Main activities of the Audit Committee during the 2019 financial year

Risk management

The Audit Committee is tasked with ensuring that the Board has adequate oversight of risk management and

that it deems the controls sufficient and effective.

As the framework for risk management activities, the Company’s ERM programme was operated during the

2019 financial year in line with the process and standards established in the previous two years. Working with

the Company’s Internal Audit function during a series of meetings facilitated by Ernst & Young, each risk

identified was considered in detail in terms of the inherent risk, existing mitigating measures and residual risk,

along with a determination of how that risk should be dealt with in accordance with the Company’s risk

appetite. The resulting risk register was then used to prepare a principal risk report. Each risk owner is required

to review each risk at least once a quarter. The Company’s internal Risk Council, comprising the Company’s

senior management team, reviews the risk register and the principal risk report also at least once a quarter.

The Risk Council then reports to the Audit Committee on, among other things, changes to be made to the

principal risk report, including any consequent mitigating actions. The principal risk report, once approved by

the Audit Committee, is delivered to the Board.

In addition to the ERM program, the Company’s Internal Audit function prepares a plan of internal audits for

the upcoming year, which is approved by the Audit Committee. Internal audits are performed by Ernst & Young

and the Head of Internal Audit, who has direct responsibility to the Chairman of the Audit Committee as well

as an administrative reporting line to the Company’s Chief Financial Officer.

Following completion of an Internal Audit, a report is compiled which sets out the findings, makes

recommendations for control improvement and presents the improvement actions undertaken by

management. Internal audit reports are submitted and presented to the Audit Committee for approval. The

Chairman gives a report of the Internal Audit reports completed in a particular period to the full Board.

Internal Audit then verifies that actions have been taken and controls implemented and reports back to the

Audit Committee on the status. The Audit Committee will work to ensure that the Company continues to

develop effective risk assessment and management processes.

More information on risk management within the Company is set out on pages 28-32 of this annual report.

Financial information

The Audit Committee reviews and approves all interim and final financial statements, as well as the content of

the Company’s annual report. The Company’s external auditors provide the Audit Committee with a briefing

on any issues arising. The Audit Committee also reviews and approves any regulatory announcements that

are made in connection with such financial information. It is only after the Audit Committee’s approval that the

statements are put to the Board for approval.

Relationship with external auditors

The Audit Committee has approved the fees to be paid and the external audit plan for the 2019 financial year

and reviewed the reports of the auditors on the half-year review and the annual audit performed. The Audit

Committee was satisfied with the performance of the external auditors and with the effectiveness of the

external audit process. The audit of the 2019 financial statements and of this annual report, and the review of

the half-year financial report, were all completed in time and to high standard, addressing the key issues.

With the completion of the 2019 audit PricewaterhouseCoopers have been the auditors of the company for 13

years uninterrupted, covering the years ended 31 March 2007 to 31 March 2019.

The Audit Committee will consider the appointment of external auditors for the financial year ending 31 March

2020 and the Directors will propose a resolution in this respect for the forthcoming annual general meeting of

the Company. Should the Directors later decide to appoint a firm other than the current auditor

PricewaterhouseCoopers, the Directors would ask the shareholders to ratify the appointment of the new

auditor at the 2020 annual general meeting.

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 51

GOVERNANCE

REPORT OF THE CHAIRMAN OF THE AUDIT COMMITTEE

CONTINUED

Main activities of the Audit Committee during the 2019 financial year

continued

Relationship with external auditors continued

The Audit Committee ensures the independence of the Company’s external auditors. The Audit Committee

reviewed the independence letter of the auditors and considered in particular the non-audit fees paid to the

external auditors during the year (see Note 8 to the financial statements). While fees paid on tax and other

advisory services were close to the audit fees, the Audit Committee was satisfied that this did not compromise

the objectivity and independence of the auditors, mainly because: (i) the engagement leaders from the

relevant advisory departments are not part of the audit team; and (ii) no such services were ordered by the

Company that carried self-review threat for the auditor. Until late in the 2018 financial year

PricewaterhouseCoopers were also the principal tax adviser of the Group but were then replaced by Deloitte

following a competitive tender. From this point onwards the fees paid to PricewaterhouseCoopers for non-

audit services started to decline; however, the total amount in the year was still significant, primarily due to

tax-related engagements started earlier the completion of which was extending into the 2019 financial year.

In February 2019 PricewaterhouseCoopers informed the Company that, in response to UK corporate

governance developments for audit services, they would stop providing non-audit services to the Company,

except the completion of in-progress engagements until December 2019 the latest. Therefore, non-audit fees

earned by PricewaterhouseCoopers in the 2020 financial year will be materially less than the audit fees.

Significant matters relating to the annual report

In the course of the preparation of the Company’s financial statements, the following issues, among others,

were considered by the Audit Committee:

 Maintenance accounting: As part of reviewing the reports from management and the auditor on the half-

year and the year-end accounts, the Audit Committee satisfied itself that the policy and the procedures

applicable to this complex area were followed in the year consistently.

 Revenue accounting: The Audit Committee reviewed the reports from management and the auditor on

the half-year and the year-end accounts in relation to the adoption of IFRS 15 in the financial year, including

its financial implications, and satisfied itself that the requirements of the new standard were applied

properly. The Audit Committee supported management’s recommendation to apply the ‘Cumulative

Effect Method’ of transition for adopting the standard.

 Asset transactions with significant earnings impact: The Audit Committee reviewed the reports from

management and the auditor on the year-end accounts in relation to asset sale and leaseback transactions

and to certain supplier negotiations that, particularly for new technology aircraft and engines, resulted in

significant one-off gains that are not expected to recur to the same magnitude in the future. The Audit

Committee satisfied itself that the accounting treatment was in line with applicable standards and that the

impact of the transactions was disclosed in the annual report appropriately.

At the request of the Board, the Audit Committee also considered whether the annual report taken as a whole

was fair, balanced and understandable and whether it provided the necessary information for Shareholders to

assess the Group’s position and performance, business model and strategy. The Committee is satisfied that

the annual report meets these criteria.

Other matters considered during the year

 IFRS 16 Leases: With respect to adoption of IFRS 16 by the Group with the initial application date of 1 April

2019, the Audit Committee reviewed the accounting implications of the standard and the Company’s

preparations for its adoption. The Audit Committee supported management’s recommendations for the

accounting policy choices to be made under IFRS 16, in particular to select the ‘full retrospective’ method

of transition (see Note 2 to the financial statements). The Audit Committee also reviewed the FX risk

implications of the adoption of IFRS 16, particularly the FX translation risk from the revaluation of the lease

liability. The Audit Committee supported management’s recommendations for mitigating this new risk

primarily by holding US Dollar deposits instead of Euro deposits from 1 April 2019, and for the remaining

exposure by entering into EUR/USD FX forward deals meaning also a change to the Company’s risk

management policy (see Note 3 to the financial statements).

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 52

GOVERNANCE

REPORT OF THE CHAIRMAN OF THE AUDIT COMMITTEE

CONTINUED

Main activities of the Audit Committee during the 2019 financial year

continued

Other matters considered during the year continued

 FRC review of the 2017 accounts: In January 2018 the Company received notice from the Conduct

Committee of the Financial Reporting Council (UK) (‘FRC’) that the Group’s annual report and accounts

to 31 March 2017 have been reviewed. The first round of the review took place during January-March 2018

and covered accounting for heavy maintenance and for hedges. The FRC made some recommendations

of relatively smaller significance, and the Company took account of some of the recommendations and

extended its disclosures in the areas of heavy maintenance accounting and hedge accounting already in

its 2018 annual report, i.e. prior to the closure of the review. The second round of the review, during May-

July 2018, focused on the remaining more detailed and sophisticated issues around maintenance

accounting. In July the FRC issued its final letter and confirmed that based on the responses received from

the Company their inquiry was closed, with no change required to the accounting policies of the Group.

The Audit Committee closely followed the developments during the review and was satisfied to see that

there was no significant recommendation made by the FRC.

 Corporate and tax matters: Deloitte, the Group’s new principal tax adviser, was engaged in 2018 to analyse

the alternative future corporate structure of the Group, including tax implications, as a result of the Group

creating multiple airlines, to position the group for other potential business developments and also

potential changes in the international tax environment. The reports from Deloitte and from management

were reviewed during 2018 by the Board of Directors. The key changes approved by the Directors related

primarily to corporate governance, whereby (i) selected executive roles were moved from operating entity

level to holding entity level (in response to the new multi-airline setup of the Group); and (ii) the corporate

form of Wizz Air Hungary was changed to Kft. to Zrt. (creating a platform for more robust corporate

governance processes at subsidiary level).

 GDPR: In May 2018 the Audit Committee reviewed the report from management on the preparedness of

the Company for GDPR, and was satisfied that the newly implemented processes, both internally and in

relation to business partners, shall ensure compliance of the Company with the GDPR requirements.

Simon Duffy

Chairman of the Audit Committee

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 53

GOVERNANCE

REPORT OF THE CHAIRMAN OF THE NOMINATION COMMITTEE

Wizz Air’s Nomination Committee is comprised of three members, namely Simon Duffy, our Senior

Independent Non-Executive Director, Barry Eccleston and me.

The Nomination Committee assists the Board in discharging its responsibilities relating to the composition of

the Board. The Nomination Committee is responsible for evaluating the balance of skills, knowledge and

experience on the Board, the size, structure and composition of the Board, and retirements and appointments

of additional and replacement Directors, and will make appropriate recommendations to the Board on

such matters.

The Company’s success to date has been achieved by ensuring that it appoints people of the highest calibre,

whether as Directors, management or employees. While the key selection criterion is to ensure that people are

appointed on their ability to do their jobs, the Company and the Nomination Committee recognise the

importance to the Company of diversity, including gender equality.

The 2019 financial year marked the sixth anniversary of the appointments of a number of our non-executive

directors and the Nomination Committee had particular regard to the need for refreshment of the Board.

On 1 June 2018, Barry Eccleston was appointed as Independent Non-Executive Director and member of the

Nomination Committee. A British national, Mr. Eccleston had recently retired as Chief Executive Officer of

Airbus Americas Inc., where he was responsible for all aspects of Airbus' commercial airplanes business in

North America, a position he held since 2005. On 24 July 2018, the Board appointed Mr. Peter Agnefjäll as

Independent Non-Executive Director. A Swedish national, Mr. Agnefjäll was the President and Chief Executive

Officer of IKEA Group from 2013 to 2017. Mr. Agnefjäll was also appointed as a member of the Audit

Committee. At the same time, John McMahon retired from the Board after more than six years as an

Independent Non-Executive Director. Mr. McMahon was also the Senior Independent Non-Executive Director

and a member of the Audit and Nomination Committees. Upon retirement of Mr. McMahon, Simon Duffy was

appointed as Senior Independent Non-Executive Director.

On 1 January 2019, Mr. Barry Eccleston was appointed as independent non-executive director overseeing

engagement with employees. In his role, Mr. Eccleston ensures the employee voice reaches the boardroom.

Ms. Maria Kyriacou was appointed as an Independent Non-Executive Director with effect from 25th September

2018. At the same time, Thierry de Preux retired from the Board after more than six years. A joint British and

Cypriot national, Ms. Kyriacou is currently President International ITV Studios, part of ITV plc. Maria oversees

ITV Studios' production companies across Europe and Australia, its growing US scripted business, plus

international distribution arm ITV Studios Global Entertainment (ITVS GE). Ms. Kyriacou is also a member of

the Remuneration Committee.

On 1 March 2019, Ms. Hooper was re-appointed for a further three-year period. Ms. Hooper is also a member

of the Audit Committee and the Remuneration Committee.

Main activities of the Nomination Committee during the 2019 financial year

During the 2019 financial year, the Nomination Committee worked on a number of key appointments for

the Company.

The Nomination Committee, along with other Directors, assisted senior management and the Board with a

review of the structure of the Company’s organizational design.

As Wizz Air’s commitment to the United Kingdom continued, Owain Jones, Chief Corporate Officer, became

the Managing Director of Wizz Air UK with effect from 1 September 2018, reporting to József Váradi, Group

Chief Executive Officer. Marion Geoffroy, Head of Legal, was promoted to Chief Corporate Officer also with

effect from 1 September 2018, reporting to the Group’s Chief Executive Officer.

On 1 October 2018, Joel Goldberg, Senior Director Technology, Europe for Nike, was appointed to the newly-

created position of Chief Digital Officer, reporting to Stephen Jones, Deputy Chief Executive Officer and

Managing Director of Wizz Air Hungary. Joel Goldberg is responsible for the Group’s E-commerce, Data

Analytics and Automation, IT Innovation and IT infrastructure and Services functions.

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 54

GOVERNANCE

REPORT OF THE CHAIRMAN OF THE NOMINATION COMMITTEE

Main activities of the Nomination Committee during the 2019 financial year

continued

On 1 April 2019, András Sebők was promoted to the newly created Chief Supply Chain Officer position

reporting to Stephen Jones, Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Wizz Air Hungary. In his

new position, András Sebők assumes responsibility for Fleet Acquisition, Purchasing, Facility Management and

Airport Development functions. The objective of this new structure is to enhance the Company’s supply chain

management capabilities by synergizing procurement processes and supplier management approaches. The

new organizational design will deliver a more efficient and lower cost operation of the Company.

As already noted above, the Nomination Committee has also been reviewing the composition of the Board in

the context of certain Non-Executive Directors reaching the sixth anniversary of their appointments in the

coming year and also the need to ensure the periodic refreshment of the Board. As a result, John McMahon

and Thierry de Preux retired from the Board while Barry Eccleston, Peter Agnefjäll and Maria Kyriacou were

appointed as Independent Non-Executive Directors during the course of F19 and Barry Eccleston was also

appointed as independent non-executive director overseeing engagement with employees.

The Nomination Committee’s ongoing work

The Nomination Committee will continue to work with the Board to ensure that it has the appropriate balance

of skills, knowledge and experience and that, where the opportunity presents itself, appointments are made

which reflect not only the Company’s requirement to retain the best people for a particular role but also the

Company’s values, including ensuring diversity within the Board and the Company’s senior management.

The Nomination Committee and the Board also recognise the importance of ensuring that succession of

Directors and senior management is properly managed, to ensure that the Company has the right people

available as needed. The Nomination Committee will continue to work with the Board and the Company’s

senior management to develop and refine succession plans, encouraging and facilitating internal talent

development where necessary.

William A. Franke

Chairman of the Nomination Committee

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 55

GOVERNANCE

DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION REPORT

Report of the Chairman of the Remuneration Committee

On behalf of the Board I am pleased to present the Directors’ Remuneration Report for the financial year ended

31 March 2019.

It is worth noting that the composition of the Remuneration Committee was refreshed during the financial year

ended 31 March 2019. Ms. Maria Kyriacou became a member on 25 September 2018 upon the retirement of Mr.

Thierry de Preux.

Consistent with the principles set out in the 2018 UK Corporate Governance Code, in order to strengthen

workforce engagement, Wizz Air has decided to appoint an independent non-executive director to oversee

engagement with employees. Mr. Barry Eccleston, who joined the Board of Wizz Air Holdings Plc on 1 June

2018, was appointed as independent non-executive director overseeing engagement with employees from 1

January 2019. In his role, Mr. Eccleston ensures the employee voice reaches the boardroom. As at 31 March

2019, Mr. Eccleston has visited three of the largest bases in Wizz Air network, has attended sessions of the

Wizz People Council, has organized a meeting between all Wizz People Council members and the Board, has

delivered floor talks to Wizz Air office employees and has reported back to the Board.

The 2019 financial year was another year of strong growth for Wizz Air. Once again, we have delivered

industry-leading passenger growth, with passenger numbers increasing by 17 per cent and total revenue

increasing by 20 per cent. Although the first half of the financial year was particularly challenging for all

European carriers with unprecedented disruptions caused by ATC strikes, slot constraints as well as heavily

congested airports, the Company continued to drive its cost base lower and profitably stimulate traffic. During

the year, the Company successfully launched the operation of our UK airline, Wizz air UK, which was part of

the Company’s Brexit contingency planning and went through an extensive delivery program of 17 aircraft in

17 weeks. On the back of the rising fuel price, the Company trimmed second half capacity growth to 14%

(previously 18%) and as a result second half yields responded well. The Company also started to enjoy further

cost improvements from its investment graded credit rated balance sheet with over EUR 1.1 billion of free cash

and the Company signed letters of intent to finance 10 A321 NEO aircraft at rates significantly better than the

Company’s previous best deals. The arrival of game-changing, well-priced A321 NEO aircraft into our fleet in

the fourth quarter enabled Wizz Air to increase its cost advantage even further.

The strong leadership during the 2019 financial year of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer and management

team has seen the Company deliver record profitability of €291 million, even as the Company dealt with these

headwinds and significant developments. At the same time, the Company remained extremely cost-focused,

with its ex-fuel operating unit cost remaining materially flat (0.9 per cent. decrease year on year). The relative

strength of Wizz Air’s performance against its peers was reflected in a share price which, as at 31 March 2019,

remained some 162 per cent. higher than the offering price in the Company’s initial public offering. Over the

year, therefore, the Directors and senior management have ensured that the Company’s business has

continued to deliver results that have significantly increased Shareholder value, as well as further strengthening

the foundations for the Company’s future growth.

The Company’s Remuneration Policy is designed to incentivise the Chief Executive Officer, currently the

Company’s sole Executive Director, not only to deliver profitability, but also to continue to drive the Company’s

unit costs even lower at the same time as delivering a good customer experience. By way of reminder, the

amount of a payment under the Company’s short-term incentive plan for 2019 depended on three factors,

being profit after tax (80%), on-time performance (10%) and ex-fuel cost per available seat kilometer (10%).

The outcome of the short term incentive plan for the 2019 financial year reflects the Company’s performance:

profitability was below target (but marginally above the threshold), ex-fuel CASK was on target, and on-time

performance fell below the threshold for any payment, even though this was mainly a consequence of a

number of events beyond the Company’s control (unprecedented disruptions due to ATC strikes, slot

constraints and heavily congested airports in the first half of the financial year). Taking these factors into

account, the Chief Executive Officer’s payment under the short-term incentive plan for the financial year 2019

was EUR 345,321, being 52.3 per cent. of annual base salary (and therefore of target bonus) against a maximum

bonus opportunity of 200 per cent. of annual base salary.

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 56

GOVERNANCE

DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION REPORT

CONTINUED

Report of the Chairman of the Remuneration Committee

continued

The first award under the approved Long-term incentive Plan was made to officers and to heads of functions

in July 2015 and vested in July 2018. 50 percent of the award was based on relative total shareholder return

(TSR) compared to selected European airlines and the other 50 percent on fully diluted earnings per share

growth. The awards for the Chief Executive Officer vested in full, being 73,805 options. The total market value

of the shares on the day of vesting (9 July 2018) was GBP 2,708,644, equivalent to EUR 3,069,706 at the

prevailing FX rate. While technically the value of the options crystallized on the date of vesting, the right to

this benefit was earned via the Group delivering good financial performance during the F16-F18 financial years.

Therefore, total remuneration of the Chief Executive Officer for the year was EUR 4,056,437. The

Remuneration Committee believes that this demonstrates that not only are the targets set for management

very ambitious, but also that the Company’s current Remuneration Policy is appropriate with the outcome

properly reflecting the Company’s performance during the year.

The Chief Executive Officer’s base salary was last revised in 2018 following a comprehensive market review

upon which the Remuneration Committee concluded that the Chief Executive Officer’s base salary should be

increased by 10 per cent. to CHF 750.000 with retrospective effect from 1 April 2018. The Committee has

determined that the CEO’s base salary remains competitive and therefore no changes are proposed for the

2020 financial year. In 2018, we have reorganised our group structure, which enables us to deliver further value

to our shareholders in the long term. The net pay of some executives, including the Chief Executive Officer,

has been adversely affected by this. The Committee is aware of the impact of these changes and is considering

how best to respond with a view to keeping the original pay package intact, which might entail a change to

the basic salary.

The Remuneration Committee remains committed to ensuring that the Company’s Remuneration Policy is an

effective way to align the interests of the Directors and senior management with those of the Company’s

Shareholders and that it provides appropriate incentivisation to continue to deliver Shareholder value.

However, the Remuneration Committee also remains focused on the Company’s ultra-low-cost business

model, and the governing principle that will continue to be applied is that remuneration must be competitive

whilst not being more than is necessary to attract, retain and motivate executive management of the quality

required to continue to run the Company successfully, and that a significant proportion of remuneration

remains performance based. Indeed, this is a principle which is applied consistently throughout the Company

for almost all employees. In addition the Remuneration Committee considers that the policy should not only

be easy to understand, but also straightforward and simple to implement and administer in line with our

approach to business which seeks to keep processes and procedures as streamlined and as simple as possible.

Whilst the Company is incorporated in Jersey, we have chosen voluntarily to comply in all material respects

with the provisions of the UK Companies Act 2006 and related regulations in respect of the Directors’

Remuneration Report and Remuneration Policy, underlining the Company’s commitment to adopt UK

corporate governance best practice. The Directors’ Remuneration Policy was put forward to a binding

Shareholder vote at the 2018 annual general meeting with the intention that it should apply for three years.

The Remuneration Committee is of the view that the Policy continues to achieve the aims set out above.

Therefore, we will not be asking Shareholders to vote on the Policy at this year’s annual general meeting,

although there will be an advisory vote on the Annual Report on Remuneration. In the context of the

Company’s particular structure in which the company’s only Executive Director is a co-founder of the

Company and has maintained a significant shareholding, the Committee is of the view that there remains to

be a strong alignment with shareholders. However, it is reminded that under our policy the Remuneration

Committee has the power to increase this alignment through the implementation of shareholding guidelines,

mandatory bonus deferral or an additional LTIP post-vesting holding period, over the course of the policy

period, should it be considered desirable to do so.

The Committee welcomes changes introduced by the July 2018 UK Corporate Governance Code and updated

remuneration reporting regulations. The Committee has reviewed its current practices against the revised

Code and will report further on our response in the annual remuneration report next year.

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 57

GOVERNANCE

DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION REPORT

CONTINUED

Report of the Chairman of the Remuneration Committee

continued

The Committee notes the significant minority vote against the resolution to approve our Remuneration Policy

in the last annual general meeting. The Committee has engaged extensively with shareholders and proxy

advisors and gained a clear insight into the reasons for the number of votes registered against our

Remuneration Policy, which primarily relate to the absence of the structural features including bonus deferral,

LTI holding period and shareholding requirements.

In our policy, the Committee has adopted powers to introduce the features outlined during the policy period.

The Committee recognises that, at certain companies, the absence of those features may be a cause for some

concern, as executive directors may not be as aligned with shareholders as otherwise would be the case.

However, at Wizz Air, the sole executive director – the CEO and co-founder – is already significantly aligned

to the long-term interests of the company and shareholder experience through current share ownership valued

at approximately EUR 66.5 million (circa 100 times his present basic annual salary)

This holding far exceeds the level commonly imposed by having the conventional structural safeguarding

mechanics outlined above and his large shareholding ensures an extremely strong alignment between the

interests of the CEO and those of shareholders. The Remuneration Committee will, as a matter of course,

continue to keep such features and all shareholder feedback under close review.

In conclusion, I would reiterate that Wizz Air continues to be proud of the strong results delivered in the 2019

financial year against a challenging industry background. We remain committed to ensuring that our

Remuneration Policy continues to incentivise delivery of outstanding results in the future, but in a way that

appropriately aligns the interests of the Directors and senior management with those of the Company’s

Shareholders. We believe that the approved Directors’ Remuneration Policy does this in a way which is

consistent with the Company’s current growth phase and its desire to bring simplicity to all areas of its

operation. Simplicity of process and practice reflects the Company’s strategy to focus on achieving the lowest

possible unit operating cost while improving customers’ experience.

We look forward to the continued support of our Shareholders and welcome any questions or suggestions

that you may have to further align our Remuneration Policy with the interests of our investors.

Guido Demuynck

Chairman of the Remuneration Committee

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 58

GOVERNANCE

DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION REPORT

CONTINUED

Introduction

The Directors’ Remuneration Policy was approved by Shareholders at the annual general meeting held on 24

July 2018 and will apply until the annual general meeting to be held in 2021. This Directors’ Remuneration

Report sets out the remuneration earned for the 2019 financial year in accordance with the approved Directors’

Remuneration Policy and the planned application of our Remuneration Policy for the 2020 financial year.

The report has been prepared in accordance with the Large and Medium-sized Companies and Groups

(Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 as amended (the Regulations), which the Company has chosen to

comply with in all material respects as a matter of best practice.

For transparency, we have included the approved Directors’ Remuneration Policy in full in this report although

there will not be a vote on the Directors’ Remuneration Policy at this year’s annual general meeting. The

Remuneration Policy is also available to view at corporate.wizzair.com.

Remuneration Policy

Introduction

Our principal consideration when determining the Remuneration Policy is to ensure that it supports our

company strategy and business objectives, as well as to attract, retain and motivate executive management

of the quality required to run the Company successfully without paying more than is necessary.

In the selection of performance measures for both the annual performance bonus and the Long-term Incentive

Plan the Remuneration Committee takes into account the Group’s strategic objectives and short and long-term

business priorities. The performance targets are set in accordance with the Group’s annual operating plan and

are reviewed annually to ensure that they are sufficiently stretching. In selecting the targets the Remuneration

Committee also takes into account analysts’ forecasts, economic conditions and the Remuneration

Committee’s expectation of performance over the relevant period.

The aim of the Remuneration Policy is to:

 attract, retain and motivate executive management without paying more than is necessary;

 incentivise the successful execution of the Company’s business strategy; and

 align the Executive Directors’ long-term interests with those of Shareholders.

Executive Director remuneration

The Chief Executive Officer is currently the Company’s sole Executive Director. The Remuneration Committee

believes that the Company’s Remuneration Policy supports the Company’s ultra-low-cost business model by

incentivising senior management, including the Chief Executive Officer, to continue to strive to increase the

Company’s cost advantage while improving the customers’ experience. The Chief Executive Officer currently

receives a base salary and is eligible for an annual performance bonus of up to 200 per cent. of base salary

and a long-term incentive award of up to 250 per cent. of base salary, with payments depending on the

Company achieving certain financial and operational targets.

In deciding appropriate remuneration levels, the Remuneration Committee takes into account, among other

things, the levels paid at competitor low-cost carriers as well as selected fast-growing listed companies across

Europe of a similar size.

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 59

GOVERNANCE

DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION REPORT

CONTINUED

Remuneration Policy

continued

Executive Director remuneration continued

Future policy table: Executive Directors

Element Purpose and link to strategy Operation and opportunity

Framework used to assess performance

and provisions for the recovery of

sums paid

Base salary To provide the core

reward for the role.

To attract, retain and

motivate executive

management without

paying more

than necessary.

Salaries are reviewed annually,

with any increase being

awarded at the discretion of the

Remuneration Committee.

The Executive Director’s salary

for the 2019 financial year is

detailed in the Annual Report

on Remuneration.

The Remuneration Committee

may take into account a

number of factors in deciding

whether an increase should be

made, including benchmarking

against selected airlines and

selected fast-growing listed

companies across Europe of a

similar size.

The Remuneration Committee

will consider the individual

salary of Executive Directors at

a meeting each year.

There are no provisions for the

recovery of sums paid or the

withholding of any payment

relating to base salary.

Benefits To attract, retain and

motivate executive

management without

paying more

than necessary.

Executive Directors are

covered by the Company’s

group personal accident and

life assurance cover, which is in

place for all employees

(2x salary).

Free return tickets usable on

the route network of the Group,

consistent with the number of

free tickets made available for

all employees.

There are no provisions for the

recovery of sums paid or the

withholding of any payments

relating to benefits.

Pension Not applicable. Not applicable. The Company

does not provide a pension

scheme for the Executive

Directors (unless contributions

are required by law).

Not applicable.

Short-term

Incentive

Plan

To incentivise the

successful execution

of the Company’s

business strategy.

To reward the

achievement of

annual financial and

operational goals.

Payments under the Short-term

Incentive Plan are made in

cash, subject to certain

specified performance

requirements as determined by

the Remuneration Committee

being met and up to a

maximum bonus set as a

percentage of base salary by

the Remuneration Committee.

The maximum bonus for the

Chief Executive Officer is 200

per cent. of base salary.

These performance

requirements so far (depending

on the year) related to

Company profitability, on-time

performance, operating cost

and personal performance.

Performance requirements

are determined by the

Remuneration Committee

annually. They are intended to

align the performance of the

Executive Directors with the

Group’s near-term objectives of

delivering against its strategy.

In particular, the performance

requirements incentivise the

Executive Directors to focus

on cost control to achieve

profitability targets, while

delivering a reliable service

to customers.

The annual bonus is subject to

malus and/or clawback in the

event of serious misconduct

which could have served as a

reason for termination of the

employment for cause, or the

employee was involved in fraud,

dishonesty or other type of

illegal activity.

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 60

GOVERNANCE

DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION REPORT

CONTINUED

Remuneration Policy

continued

Executive Director remuneration continued

Future policy table: Executive Directors continued

Long-term

Incentive

Plan (LTIP)

(operating

for the first

time in the

2016

financial

year).

To align the Executive

Directors’ long-term

interests with those of

Shareholders.

To reward strong

financial performance

and sustained

increase in

Shareholder value.

Each year, performance shares

may be granted. Awards vest

over a three-year period,

subject to the achievement of

performance targets. The

maximum face value of annual

awards will be 250 per cent. of

base salary for the Chief

Executive Officer and the

Executive Director must remain

in office when the performance

shares vest.

Performance targets are

determined by the Remun.

Committee and vesting of the

performance shares is subject

to performance targets being

met over the performance

period.

If a participant’s employment

ends before the end of the

performance period, any vested

and unvested options will

normally lapse, save in certain

“good leaver” scenarios.

Long-term incentive awards are

subject to malus and/or

clawback in the event of serious

misconduct which could have

served as a reason for

termination of the employment

for cause, or the employee was

involved in fraud, dishonesty or

other type of illegal activity.

Difference in Remuneration Policy for Executive Directors and employees

Remuneration of the Company’s senior management team follows a similar pattern to that of the Executive

Directors, although amounts for each component may vary. Other employees receive remuneration judged by

senior management to be appropriate for their position and experience. During the 2019 financial year, the

Remuneration Committee has also spent quality time to ensure that the remuneration of senior management

was well aligned within the Company and that performance criteria were consistent and aligned with the

overall strategy of the Company.

Non-Executive Director remuneration

The Non-Executive Directors are only paid fees.

Element Purpose and link to strategy Operation and opportunity

Framework used to assess performance

and provisions for the recovery of

sums paid

Fees To remunerate Non-

Executive Directors

to reflect their level

of responsibility.

Non-Executive Directors are paid a

basic fee, plus an additional amount

for each Board meeting attended.

Additional fees are paid for the

roles of Chairman of the Audit

Committee, the Remuneration

Committee, the Board and, with

effect from 2019, the Senior

Independent Director. Fees for

Non-Executive Directors, other than

the Chairman, are determined by

the Board. Fees for the Chairman

are determined by the Remun.

Committee without the Chairman

being present. The Remuneration

Committee, in relation to the

Chairman, and the Board, in relation

to the other Non-Executive

Directors, retain the flexibility to

increase fee levels to ensure that

they appropriately reflect the

experience of the individual, time

commitment of the role and fee

levels in comparable companies.

The fees paid to the Chairman and

other Non-Executive Directors for

the 2019 financial year are set out in

the Annual Report on

Remuneration.

Not applicable; there are no

provisions for the recovery

of sums paid or the withholding

of any payment relating to fees.

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 61

GOVERNANCE

DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION REPORT

CONTINUED

Remuneration Policy

continued

Illustration of the application of the Remuneration Policy

The bar chart below sets out the annual remuneration package of the Chief Executive Officer, at a minimum,

as a reasonable expectation and as a possible maximum (in Euro):

The remuneration receivable under the LTIP as shown in the table (i) does not assume any share price movement between grant

and vesting; and (ii) for the sake of illustration it assumes that no shares would vest in the minimum scenario, 50 per cent. of

shares would vest in the expected scenario and all shares would vest in the maximum scenario.

Fixed remuneration is base salary (May 2019 level annualised, being €664,050). The annual bonus amount is

zero at minimum, €664,050 at the expected level (50 per cent. of maximum opportunity of 200 per cent.)

and €1,328,100 at maximum (200 per cent. of base salary). The long-term incentive amount is zero at minimum,

€830.063 at the expected level (50 per cent. of maximum opportunity of 250 per cent.) and €1,660,125 at

maximum (250 per cent. of base salary).

Recruitment remuneration

The remuneration package for an incoming Executive Director would reflect the principles set out above,

although relocation expenses or allowances (such as school fees) for an Executive Director requiring relocation

may be paid as appropriate.

For the appointment of a new Chairman or Non-Executive Director, fee arrangements will be made in line with

the policy as set out above.

Policy on payment for loss of office

In the event of termination of a service contract or letter of appointment of a Director, contractual obligations

will be honoured in accordance with the service contract or letter of appointment. The Remuneration

Committee will take into consideration the circumstances and reasons for departure, health, length of service

and performance. Under this policy, the Remuneration Committee will make any statutory payments it is

required to make. In addition, the Remuneration Committee may agree to payment of outplacement

counselling costs and disbursements (such as legal costs) if considered to be appropriate and depending on

the circumstances of departure.

There are no pre-determined contractual provisions for Directors regarding compensation in the event of loss

of office save for those listed in the table below.

Details of provision Executive Director Non-Executive Directors

Notice period Six months’ notice by either party. One month’s notice

by either party.

Termination payment The employing company may terminate the

Executive Director’s employment with immediate

effect by payment in lieu of notice.

The Executive Director will be paid a sum equal to six

months’ base salary if the employing company

chooses to enforce the restrictive covenants

referenced below.

Upon termination of employment other than for cause,

the Executive Director is entitled to a severance

payment equal to six months’ salary in addition to any

notice pay or payment in lieu of notice.

Fees and expenses

accrued up to

termination only.

Post-termination

covenants

Post-termination restrictive covenants apply for

a period of one year following termination

of employment.

Not applicable.

No such payment for loss of office was made by the Group in the year or the prior year. No payments of any

nature were made to past directors.

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 62

GOVERNANCE

DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION REPORT

CONTINUED

Remuneration Policy

continued

Discretion, flexibility and judgment of the Remuneration Committee

The Remuneration Committee operates the Short-term Incentive Plan and the Long-term Incentive Plan, which

include flexibility in a number of areas. These include:

 the timing of awards and payments;

 the size of an award, within the maximum limits;

 the participants of the plan;

 the performance requirements and maximum percentages of salary to be used for the Short-term

Incentive Plan and the Long-term Incentive Plan from year to year;

 the performance conditions, performance periods and vesting periods for awards under the Long-term

Incentive Plan from year to year;

 the assessment of whether performance requirements and/or conditions have been met;

 the treatment to be applied for a change of control or significant restructuring of the Group;

 the determination of a good/bad leaver for incentive plan purposes and the treatment of awards

thereof; and

 the adjustments, if any, required in certain circumstances (e.g. rights issues, corporate restructuring,

corporate events and special dividends).

In addition, the Remuneration Committee retains the power to adopt shareholding guidelines, mandatory

bonus deferral or an additional post-vesting holding period with respect to the LTIP, over the course of the

policy period should any or all of these features be considered desirable.

Legacy arrangements

In approving this policy, authority will be given to the Company to honour commitments paid, promised to be

paid or awarded to (i) current or former Directors prior to the date of this policy being approved and (ii) to an

individual (who subsequently is appointed as a Director of the Company) at a time when the relevant individual

was not a Director of the Company and, in the opinion of the Remuneration Committee, was not in

consideration of that individual becoming a Director of the Company, even where such commitments are

inconsistent with the provisions of this policy.

Outstanding awards under the Company’s previous 2009 international employee share option plan remain

eligible for vesting and exercise in accordance with their terms.

Shareholder approval of share plans

This policy includes any new employee share plans or amendments to existing share plans approved by

shareholders which may be applicable to this policy period.

Consideration of Shareholder views

The Remuneration Committee and the Board will consider Shareholder feedback received in relation to the

annual general meeting each year at a meeting immediately following the annual general meeting and any

action required will be incorporated into the Remuneration Committee’s business plan for the ensuing period.

This, and any additional feedback received from Shareholders from time to time, will then be considered by

the Remuneration Committee and as part of the Company’s annual review of remuneration arrangements.

Specific engagement with major Shareholders may be undertaken when a significant change in Remuneration

Policy is proposed.

Annual Report on Remuneration

The members of the Remuneration Committee were Guido Demuynck (Chairman), Susan Hooper, Thierry de

Preux and Maria Kyriacou following the retirement of Thierry de Preux as of 25 September 2018.

The Remuneration Committee is responsible for setting the Remuneration Policy for all Executive Directors

and the Chairman, including pension rights and any compensation payments, and recommending and

monitoring the remuneration of the senior managers. Non-Executive Directors’ fees are determined by the full

Board. A summary of the Remuneration Committee’s terms of reference can be found on our corporate

website, corporate.wizzair.com. Further details about the Remuneration Committee are set out on pages 55

to 58 of the Corporate Governance Report.

József Váradi, the Chief Executive Officer, and Marion Geoffroy, the Chief Corporate Officer, attend meetings

by invitation and assist the Remuneration Committee in its deliberations as appropriate, though they are not

present when their own compensation is discussed.

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 63

GOVERNANCE

DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION REPORT

CONTINUED

Annual Report on Remuneration

continued

The Remuneration Committee is advised by Willis Towers Watson, which was selected following a competitive

tender process led by the Chairman of the Remuneration Committee in 2015. Willis Towers Watson attends

Committee meetings as and when required. During the 2019 financial year, Willis Towers Watson received fees

totalling GBP 94,289 for advice related to Remuneration Policy, governance, developments in executive pay,

benchmarking and performance analysis.

Willis Towers Watson is a member of the Remuneration Consultants Group and, as such, voluntarily operates

under the Remuneration Consultants Group Code of Conduct in relation to executive remuneration consulting

in the UK. The Remuneration Committee is satisfied that Willis Towers Watson offers impartial and objective

advice and brings a high degree of expertise to the Remuneration Committee’s discussions.

Shareholders’ vote on remuneration

At the 2018 annual general meeting the Annual Report on Remuneration was put forward for an advisory vote.

Details of the voting outcomes are provided in the table below:

Remuneration Policy

(2018 AGM)

Annual Report on Remuneration

(2018 AGM)

Votes for 34,989,350 74.10% 50,533,946 93.38%

Votes against 12,230,322 25.90% 3,581,402 6.62%

Total votes 47,219,672 54,115,348

Votes withheld 7,052,976 157,300

Executive Director’s remuneration

Full details of the Chief Executive Officer’s remuneration for 2019 are set out below (in Euros):

Single total figure of remuneration table – audited

2019

Fees and

salary Benefits Bonus LTIP Pension Total

József Váradi 641,411

- 345,321 3,069,706 - 4,056,437

2018

Fees and

salary Benefits Bonus LTIP Pension Total

József Váradi 600,762 - 680,543 - - 1,281,304

Salary and bonus were determined in Swiss Francs until December 2018 and were converted into Euros at the

rate applicable for the year (salary) or the rate applicable at the end of the financial year (2018 bonus).

Although the Chief Executive Officer was appointed Group Chief Executive Officer as of 1 January 2019, his

base salary remained unchanged throughout financial year 2019. The previous base salary of CHF 750,000

was from 1 January 2019 translated into Euro 664,050.

There were no benefits provided to the Chief Executive Officer other than twelve free return tickets usable on

the route network of the Group, the value of which is estimated to be €1600 altogether.

Bonus is linked to three important financial and operational KPIs of the Company and to individual

performance. The measures, target performance and actual performance for 2019 were the following:

Target performance

Actual

performance Payout

Measures Weight Threshold* Target** Maximum***

Profit (€m) 80% 288.7 339.7 390.6 291.6 42.3%

CASK ex-fuel (€c/ASK) 10% 2.35 2.24 2.13 2.24 10%

On-time performance

(delay <15 mins) 10% 76.0% 80.0% 84.0% 72.0% 0%

Aggregate payout ratio 100%

52.3%

* There is no payment if the performance is worse than the “Threshold”. At “Threshold” there is 50 per cent. payment of the target.

** At “Target” there is 100 per cent. payment (being equal to twelve months’ salary in the case of the CEO).

*** If the “Maximum” is reached or exceeded then there is 200 per cent. payment of the target.

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 64

GOVERNANCE

DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION REPORT

CONTINUED

Annual Report on Remuneration

continued

Executive Director’s remuneration continued

The evaluation of the Chief Executive Officer’s personal performance during the 2019 financial year took into

account factors common with those applied to all employees as part of Wizz Air’s People Cycle, namely

leadership, execution, cooperation, innovation and expertise. In the case of the Chief Executive Officer, these

factors were considered in the context of two broad categories - building the business and building the

organization. During the 2019 financial year, the business delivered 17% capacity growth (in terms of ASKs)

and 17% passenger growth to 345 million PAX, 20% revenue growth to €2.3 billion and 6% net profit growth

to €291.6 million. Wizz Air UK was established, obtained its air operator’s certificate and operating license in

May 2018 and started commercial operations in October 2018. The Company received its first two A321neo

aircraft. Reflecting the Company’s planned growth, the Chief Executive Officer enhanced the Company’s

leadership capacity by creating the Chief Digital Officer and the Chief Supply Chain Officer positions. Effective

from 1 January 2019, organizational changes took place with the objectives of strengthening the Group’s

Corporate Governance structure. In that respect, József Váradi was appointed to Group Chief Executive

Officer at Wizz Air Holdings Plc, assuming responsibility for the overall operations of the Company that

includes Wizz Air Hungary Ltd and Wizz Air UK Ltd. At the same time, Stephen Jones was appointed Deputy

Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Wizz Air Hungary Ltd. Owain Jones had been appointed as

Managing Director of Wizz Air UK on 1 September 2018.

As outlined earlier, the first award under the LTIP (of 250 per cent. of base salary) was made to the Chief

Executive Officer during the 2016 financial year (July 2015). The award included 73,805 Performance Options,

valued at GBP 15.72 per option share, that was the market price of the Company’s shares at the date of grant.

The exercise price of the options is nil.

Vesting occurred in July 2018 in line with the following performance criteria:

a) relative total shareholder return (TSR) growth versus selected European airlines (50 per cent. weighting);

and

b) absolute fully diluted earnings per share (EPS) growth of the Company (50 per cent. weighting).

The TSR group consisted of the following entities: Ryanair and Easyjet (50 per cent. weighting); Air

France-KLM, Air Berlin, Deutsche Lufthansa, Finnair, Flybe, IAG and SAS (50 per cent. weighting). Aer Lingus

has been removed from the group following acquisition by IAG and subsequent delisting in September 2015.

The targets were met with respect to both performance criteria and therefore all the 73,805 options vested in

July 2018.

The second award under the LTIP (of 250 per cent. of base salary) was made to the Chief Executive Officer

during the 2017 financial year (June 2016). This award included 85,270 Performance Options, valued at GBP

14.80 per option share at the date of grant. Vesting is due in June 2019 and is subject to the same performance

criteria as the first award. However, the EPS threshold, target and maximum average annual growth rates were

revised slightly versus the July 2015 grant to 14.2 per cent., 17.2 per cent. and 20.2 per cent., respectively.

The third award under the LTIP (of 250 per cent. of base salary) was made to the Chief Executive Officer

during the 2018 financial year (June 2017). This award included 70,698 Performance Options, valued at GBP

22.00 per option share at the date of grant. Vesting is due in June 2020 and is subject to the same performance

criteria as the first and second award. However, the EPS threshold, target and maximum average annual

growth rates were revised versus the June 2016 grant to 25 per cent., 28 per cent. and 31 per cent., respectively.

The fourth award under the LTIP (of 250 per cent. of base salary) was made to the Chief Executive Officer

during the 2019 financial year (May 2018). This award included 40,103 Performance Options, valued at GBP

31.44 per option share at the date of grant. Vesting is due in May 2021 and is subject to the same performance

criteria as the previous awards. However, the EPS threshold, target and maximum average annual growth rates

were set to 11 per cent., 19 per cent. and 26 per cent., respectively.

The first LTIP award made in the 2016 financial year (July 2015), and which vested in the 2019 financial year

(July 2018), is hereby disclosed as part of the single total figure of remuneration for the 2019 financial year.

The Chief Executive Officer does not any longer hold options from the Company’s previous employee share

option plan (ESOP) under which options were issued during the 2005-2011 calendar years.

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 65

GOVERNANCE

DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION REPORT

CONTINUED

Annual Report on Remuneration

continued

Executive Director’s remuneration continued

The following performance graph shows the Company’s total shareholder return compared to the FTSE 250

index for the last two financial years following IPO. TSR is defined as share price growth plus reinvested

dividends.

Source: DataStream Return Index

1 Growth in the value of a hypothetical £100 holding over three years FTSE 250 comparison based on one-month average of

trading day values. Source: DataStream.

In the tables below we provide a five-year overview of the Chief Executive Officer’s remuneration and the

change in the Chief Executive Officer’s remuneration compared to that of all employees.

Five-year overview of Chief Executive Officer remuneration

Performance

bonus LTIP shares

Single figure achieved vesting

of total against against

remuneration maximum maximum

Financial year Euro possible possible*

2015 1,607,587 91% N/A

2016 1,812,883 95% N/A

2017 1,240,812 48% N/A

2018 1,281,304 58% N/A

2019 4,056,437 52% 100%

* Share options under the previous ‘ESOP’ plan were last issued to the CEO in the 2012 financial year. The vesting period was

three years (i.e. vesting in the 2015 financial year) but there were no performance conditions other than being in employment

during the vesting period, hence not reflected in the single total figure for 2015. There were no options vesting in the 2016-

2018 financial years under either the old (ESOP) or the new (LTIP) share option plan.

Change in the remuneration of the Chief Executive Officer compared to that of all other employees

Chief Executive Officer

Total employees

2019 (euro)

2018 (euro)

Change

Change**

Salary and fees 641,411

600,762

+6.8%

+16.6%

Benefits*

-2.5%

Bonus

345,321

680,543

-49.3%

-43.3%

Total remuneration

986,731

1,281,304

-23.0%

14.3%

* Benefits represented an insignificant part, approximately only 1 per cent., of the employee pay in these two years.

** Per employee, excluding the Chief Executive Officer.

The increase in the Chief Executive Officer’s base salary in euro terms was attributable to the 10.0% increase

from July 2018 and exchange rate differences between the 2019 and the 2018 financial years. In 2019 the

relatively lower level of payout on the bonus (Short-term Incentive Plan) caused the decrease in the total

remuneration for the Chief Executive Officer. The lower bonus payout in 2019 had a smaller impact on the total

employee group than on the Chief Executive Officer as most employees are not entitled for bonus. Salary and

fees increased at a relatively high rate due to adjustments made to crew salaries during 2019. Total employee

remuneration changed from €106.6 million in the 2018 financial year to €152.7 million in the 2019 financial year

(see Note 9 to the financial statements), being a 43.2 per cent. increase year-on-year. This was driven also by

the 25.9 per cent. increase in employee numbers (excluding rented pilots).

There were no dividends or share buybacks in the 2019 financial year or the 2018 financial year, and therefore

disclosure of ‘relative importance of spend on pay’ has not been included.

£0

£50

£100

£150

£200

£250

£300

2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

Value of a hypothetical £100 investment

Wizz Air

FTSE 250

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 66

GOVERNANCE

DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION REPORT

CONTINUED

Annual Report on Remuneration

continued

Non-Executive Director remuneration

The Chairman and Non-Executive Directors are paid only Directors’ fees, full details of which are set out below:

Single total figure of remuneration table – audited

2019

Fees and

salary

€ Benefits Bonus LTIP Pension

Total

€

William A. Franke 235,000 - - - - 235,000

Stephen L. Johnson 60,000 - - - - 60,000

John R. Wilson 60,000 - - - - 60,000

Thierry De Preux***** 29,583 - - - - 29,583

John McMahon*** 22,581 - - - - 22,581

Simon Duffy 90,605 - - - - 90,605

Guido Demuynck 77,500 - - - - 77,500

Susan Hooper 65,000 - - - - 65,000

Barry Eccleston* 60,000 - - - - 60,000

Peter Agnefjäll** 50,645 - - - - 50,645

Maria Kyriacou**** 40,500 - - - - 40,500

Total 791,414 - - - - 791,414

* Joined as of 1 June 2018.

** Joined as of 24 July 2018.

**** Resigned as of 24 July 2018.

**** Joined as of 25 September 2018.

***** Resigned as of 25 September 2018.

2018

Fees and

salary

€ Benefits Bonus LTIP Pension

Total

€

William A. Franke 72,500 - - - - 72,500

Stephen L. Johnson 47,500 - - - - 47,500

John R. Wilson 47,500 - - - - 47,500

Thierry De Preux 47,500 - - - - 47,500

John McMahon 45,000 - - - - 45,000

Simon Duffy 66,250 - - - - 66,250

Guido Demuynck 60,000 - - - - 60,000

Susan Hooper 47,500 - - - - 47,500

Wioletta Rosolowksa 36,429 - - - - 36,429

Total 470,179 - - - - 470,179

Total Directors’ remuneration (Executive and Non-Executive) (audited)

Total remuneration of Directors for the period was €4,847,851 (2018: €1,751,483). This is the sum of the two

single figure tables set out above. The significant increase versus 2018 was driven primarily by the 2015 LTIP

options of the Chief Executive Officer vesting in 2019.

Our Conflict of Interest policy prohibits any other employment (for all employees) on top of the employment

at Wizz. Therefore in case of the Chief Executive Officer any additional directorship would require specific

permission of the Chairman of the Board. The Chief Executive Officer joined the board of JetSMART SpA in

March 2018 as a non-executive director, with the approval of the Board. The Chief Executive Officer does not

receive any fee for his role as a non-executive director of JetSMART.

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 67

GOVERNANCE

DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION REPORT

CONTINUED

Annual Report on Remuneration

continued

Directors’ shareholdings

The Chief Executive Officer holds a significant shareholding in the Company through a family trust and is also

eligible to participate in the Company’s Long-term Incentive Plan.

Each of the Non-Executive Directors, other than Susan Hooper, Peter Agnefjäll and Maria Kyriacou, is also a

Shareholder in the Company, following awards made under a historic non-executive share scheme and/or the

purchase of shares with the relevant Director’s own cash. No new share plan awards have been made since

July 2013 or will be made in the future under this historic share scheme.

The Company therefore believes that the interests of the Directors are well aligned with those of the

Shareholders. Full details of the Directors’ and their connected persons’ interests in the Company’s shares as

at 31 March 2019 are set out below:

Directors and connected persons’ interests in shares – audited

Direct

ownership

Interests

Director

Number of

Ordinary

Number of Ordinary

Number of

Convertible

Total Ordinary Share

interests

William A. Franke

52,750 15,004,750 29,830,503 15,057,500

József Váradi

10,500 1,844,144 - 1,854,644

Thierry de Preux 51,384 - - 51,384

Guido Demuynck 5,250 - - 5,250

Simon Duffy 5,250 - - 5,250

Stephen L. Johnson 52,750 - - 52,750

John Mc Mahon 14,750 - - 14,750

John R. Wilson 59,083 - - 59,083

Barry Eccleston 2,500 - - 2,500

1 Mr Franke is deemed to be interested in all of the Ordinary Shares and Convertible Shares held by Indigo Hungary LP, Indigo

Maple

Hill LP, Indigo Hungary Management LLC and Bigfork Partners LLC for the purposes of section 96B of the Financial

Services and Markets Act 2000. Indigo Hungary LP and Indigo Maple Hill LP also hold Convertible Notes that, subject to

certain conditions, are convertible to Ordinary Shares of the Company.

2 Mr Váradi is deemed to be interested in the Ordinary Shares held by his family trust companies.

There has been no change to the interests of each of the Directors set out above since 31 March 2019 to the

date of the notice of the 2019 annual general meeting.

Application of the Remuneration Policy in the 2020 financial year

a) Chief Executive Officer’s base salary

The Chief Executive Officer’s salary was last increased in 2018 following a detailed review of his remuneration

package relative to pay benchmark peer groups and considering his exceptional performance since the IPO

which has seen the Company deliver record profitability and share price growth. The Committee considered

an increase in base salary of 10% from CHF 682,000 to CHF 750,000 to be appropriate. In 2018, we have

reorganised our group structure, which enables us to deliver further value to our shareholders in the long term.

Some executives, including the Chief Executive Officer, have been adversely affected by this. The Committee

is aware of the impact of these changes and is considering how best to respond with a view to keeping the

original pay package intact, which might entail a change to the basic salary.

b) Short-term Incentive Plan

The Chief Executive Officer is eligible to receive a cash bonus of up to 200 per cent. of base salary in respect

of the 2020 financial year. The actual cash bonus received will depend on the achievement level of profit after

tax achieved, as the single criteria.

The Remuneration Committee believes that the specified performance criteria are sufficiently challenging

compared to the Company’s business plan. The annual bonus target with respect to profit is commercially

sensitive and therefore will be disclosed in the 2019 Remuneration Report following the completion of the

financial year provided that the information is no longer commercially sensitive.

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 68

GOVERNANCE

DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION REPORT

CONTINUED

Application of the Remuneration Policy in the 2020 financial year

continued

c) Long-term Incentive Plan

An award of performance shares of up to 250 per cent. of base salary will be made to the Chief Executive

Officer following approval of policy at the 2019 annual general meeting. Awards will vest following a three-

year performance period and be subject to the same type of performance criteria as the 2018 award as follows:

a) relative total shareholder return (TSR) growth versus selected European airlines (50 per cent. weighting);

and

b) absolute fully diluted earnings per share (EPS) growth of the Company (50 per cent. weighting).

The TSR group will consist of the following entities: Ryanair and Easyjet (50 per cent. weighting);

AirFrance-KLM, Deutsche Lufthansa, Finnair, IAG and SAS (50 per cent. weighting). 25 per cent. of the award

will vest for median performance and 100 per cent. of the award will vest for performance equal to or

exceeding the upper quartile. There will be no vesting for performance below median and linear interpolation

will apply for performance between the median and upper quartile.

With respect to the EPS growth measure, 25 per cent. of the award will vest for threshold average annual

growth of 12 per cent. and 100 per cent. will vest for maximum average annual growth of 27 per cent. Linear

interpolation applies for performance between threshold and maximum.

d) Chairman and Non-Executive Directors’ fees

Following a review of Non-Executive Director and Chairman fee levels against external pay benchmarks and

noting that Non-Executive Director and Chairman fees have remain unchanged since before Wizz Air’s initial

public offering in 2015, the Board deemed it appropriate to increase the Non-Executive Directorship fee from

€25,000 to €30,000 per annum and the Board attendance fee from €2,500 to €5,000 for each full Board

meeting attended, for the financial year ending 31 March 2019.

Simon Duffy, as Chairman of the Audit Committee, will continue to receive an additional fee of €18,750 per

annum for taking on that role. Guido Demuynck, as Chairman of the Remuneration Committee will continue to

receive an additional fee of €12,500 per annum for taking on that role. Simon Duffy, as Senior Independent

Director will receive an additional fee of €10,000. Barry Eccleston, as Independent Non-Executive Director

overseeing engagement with employees will receive an additional fee of €2,500 per event attended.

In addition, William A. Franke, as Chairman, will continue to receive a fee of €235,000 (all inclusive) per annum

for taking on that role. As noted in the F19 report, the previous Chairman’s fee of €75,000 (which comprised

of the Non-Executive Directorship fee of €25,000, an additional €25,000 for taking on that role plus meeting

attendance fees) had remained unchanged since before Wizz Air’s initial public offering in 2015 and, following

the benchmarking exercise by WillisTowersWatson, was found to be significantly below even the lowest non-

executive Chairman’s fee for FTSE 250 companies. Given the significantly greater size, complexity and value

of the Company since that date and the increased time commitment of the Chairman to the Company, the

increase brought the Chairman’s fee in line with the median, which is consistent with the Company’s general

policy on pay.

The Non-Executive Directors will also be reimbursed for all proper and reasonable expenses incurred in

performing their duties.

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 69

GOVERNANCE

DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION REPORT

CONTINUED

Other disclosures

Directors’ service agreement and letters of appointment

Executive Director

The Chief Executive Officer entered into a new service agreement with the Geneva branch of Wizz Air Hungary

Ltd. (WAHL) on 15 December 2015, for a period of five years, subject

to earlier termination upon six months’

notice by either party. WAHL also has the right to terminate

Mr Váradi’s employment with immediate effect

by payment in lieu of notice. The service agreement contained post-termination restrictive covenants

preventing Mr Váradi from competing with WAHL or any of its business partners in the EU as well as those

non-EU countries where WAHL operates, for a period of one year following the termination of his employment.

Mr Váradi will be paid a sum equal to six months’ base salary if WAHL chooses to

enforce these restrictive

covenants. Upon termination of employment other than for cause, Mr Váradi

is entitled to a severance payment

equal to six months’ salary in addition to any notice pay or payment in lieu of notice. Upon a group re-

organization effective from 1 January 2019, the Chief Executive Officer ceased to have a service agreement

with WAHL. Mr Váradi

became Group Chief Executive Officer and entered into a service agreement with the

Geneva branch of the Company. The terms and conditions that applied to the service agreement entered into

with WAHL have been restated in his service agreement entered into with the Geneva branch of the Company.

Non-Executive Directors

The Company entered into letters of appointment with each of its Non-Executive Directors on 4 June 2014,

other than Ms. Susan Hooper, Mr. Barry Eccleston, Mr. Peter Agnefjäll and Ms. Maria Kyriacou, which became

effective on completion of the IPO for a term of three years. This term was extended for a further three years,

effective from 2 March 2018. Ms. Susan Hooper was appointed on 1 March 2016 and her appointment was

extended for a further three years on 1 March 2019. Mr. Barry Eccleston, Mr. Peter Agnefjäll and Ms. Maria

Kyriacou were respectively appointed on 1 June 2018, 24 July 2018 and 25 September 2018. Each Non-

Executive Director’s appointment may be terminated by the Company or the Non-Executive Director with one

month’s written notice. Continuation of the appointment is contingent on continued satisfactory performance

and re-election at the Company’s annual general meetings and the appointment will terminate automatically

on the termination of the appointment by the Shareholders or, where Shareholder approval is required for the

appointment to continue, the withholding of approval by the Shareholders. Re-appointment will be reviewed

annually.

In accordance with the terms of the letters of appointment, each of the Non-Executive Directors is required to

allocate sufficient time to discharge their responsibilities effectively. Each

letter of appointment contains

obligations of confidentiality which have effect both during the

appointment and after termination.

On behalf of the Board

Guido Demuynck

Chairman of the Remuneration Committee

31 May 2019

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 70

GOVERNANCE

CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY

Strong corporate culture supporting our growth

Wizz Air’s culture is something of which we are very proud. At its very heart is a common understanding of

Wizz Air’s mission:

We believe that travel provides opportunities that can make life and the world around us better. That’s

why, at WIZZ, we’re committed to making sure that everyone, everywhere can benefit from travel at

the lowest prices possible, and to setting high benchmarks in safety and reliability.

This mission reflects the engagement of every colleague in the Wizz Air team and the pride they feel to be

working at Wizz Air. It is a mission that everyone is working towards every day and is supported by Wizz Air’s

four corporate values:

 Inclusivity: we collaborate together to achieve our goals

 Positivity: we are an optimistic, happy, inspired and inspiring team

 Dedication: we have an entrepreneurial ‘can do’ attitude: we take individual and collective ownership and

are accountable for everything we do.

 Integrity: we hold ourselves to the highest possible standards of business ethics in everything we do

These values underpin Wizz Air’s identity and ambition, as well as those of the WIZZ team. We strive to embed

them into every layer of our organization. Wizz Air is different, Wizz Air is special and, now more than ever, as

we continue to grow at an exceptional rate, maintaining our unique culture is something that we all want to

see continue.

Our Approach

As one of the fastest growing airlines in Europe and the largest low-cost airline in Central and Eastern Europe,

Wizz Air’s ultra low cost business model means that we are able to offer the lowest fares to our customers and

that, in turn, makes flying affordable for more people than ever before and offers the opportunity to travel to

as many people as possible. At the same time, we are also conscious of the many economic, social and

environmental developments impacting our communities and have a number of initiatives. Our initiatives can

be summed up in four pillars: Safety, Environment, People and Economy.

WIZZ cares for your Safety

Since its first flight in 2004, Wizz Air’s number one priority has been the safety and security of its operations.

We have devoted time and resources to ensure that our safety culture and safety procedures are world-class

and we continuously develop our processes, training programmes and monitoring systems to ensure that they

remain so.

Managing safety

Our Safety and Security teams are embedded in our business to ensure the robust management of Wizz Air’s

safety management system and to maintain constant and open dialogue with our regulatory authorities.

Wizz Air has been registered under the International Air Transport Association (IATA), Operational Safety

Audit (IOSA), the global benchmark in airline safety recognition since May 2016. The IOSA program is an

internationally recognised and accepted evaluation system which assesses the operational management and

control systems of an airline, using over 900 standard criteria. The 15-month IOSA certification period includes

training sessions, internal gap analyses and rectifications and an independent audit by an IATA-certified

organization.

Reducing fatigue risks

Wizz Air continuously monitors and assesses the risk of fatigue to guarantee safe flight operations. Its Crew

Management system incorporates fatigue-related information into its decision-making to improve the

identification of fatigue risk. It also generates continuous reports allowing Wizz Air to track and control fatigue

in its operations. Fatigue reports are evaluated on a monthly basis by the Safety Action Group and

Fatigue Team.

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 71

GOVERNANCE

CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY

CONTINUED

WIZZ cares for your Safety

continued

Dealing with unruly passengers

Wizz Air has a very strict policy against disruptive behaviour on board. Its Unruly Passenger Policy is included

in the Cabin Attendant Manual and all crew members are trained to monitor passenger behaviour in order to

detect and prevent possible unruly behaviour and ensure a safe flight. They also receive extensive conflict

management and self-defence training. Partnering airport handlers are educated on the relevant parts of the

policy and are encouraged to filter people displaying potentially disruptive behaviour in the check-in or at the

gate. Passengers who were involved in disruptive behaviour are put on a no-fly list. Wizz Air’s Unruly Passenger

Policy is regularly revised based on evaluation of the most common issues. In an effort to further discourage

unruly behaviour, in particular smoking on board. Earlier this year Wizz Air has also has joined the “Not on my

Flight” campaign – a new campaign launched by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency’s (EASA) in

order to reduce the number of unruly passengers on all European flights and protect the passenger’s right to

a peaceful travel experience.

WIZZ cares

for the Environment

WIZZ knows that the aviation industry has a responsibility to take steps to minimise its effects on the

environment. Our business model, which continuously assesses and implements innovative technologies,

decreases our environmental footprint and, with our order of the 256 ultra-efficient Airbus A320neo Family

aircraft that started delivery in March 2019, our environmental footprint will continue to decrease.

Wizz Air’s ultimate goal is to ensure that by choosing to fly with Wizz Air, our customers are making the

greenest choice of air travel available.

Maintaining a young and efficient fleet

Since its very first flight in 2004, Wizz Air has always operated the Airbus A320 family of aircraft and currently

owns one of the youngest fleets in Europe with an average age of 4.8 years

. WIZZ doesn’t only have one of

the youngest fleets, but also one of the most efficient. The Airbus A321neo, which WIZZ introduced in March

2019, is the most efficient single aisle aircraft with the lowest fuel consumption per seat in its category. The

new generation Airbus A321neo aircraft is powered by two Pratt & Whitney geared turbofan engines and

features the widest single-aisle cabin with 239 seats in a single class configuration, offering Wizz Air maximum

flexibility, fuel efficiency and low operating costs. The A321neo delivers exceptional fuel economics by

reducing fuel consumption by 10% compared to the A321ceo, which further translates to a 20% fuel savings

compared to the A320ceo aircraft. The A321neo also offers significant environmental benefits with nearly 50

per cent. reduction in noise footprint as well as 50 per cent. reduction in nitrogen oxide emissions compared

to previous generation aircraft.

Our policy of operating the newest, most efficient aircraft will remain as we continue to grow – fuel efficiency

is good for our business, good for the environment and good for our customers, as it means we can continue

to offer our lowest fares whilst minimizing environmental impact.

Implementing fuel saving initiatives

Wizz Air is flying one of the most efficient fleets in Europe today. Efficiency means lower unit operating costs

and this ensures that customers are offered the lowest fares. One of the ways that we can reduce each

customer’s environmental footprint is to ensure that, by offering the lowest prices, our aircraft fly with as many

passengers on board as possible. This is referred to as the “load factor” and we have seen our load factor

continuously improving over the past few years. The average load factor of Wizz Air in the 2019 financial year

was 92.8%, increasing from 91.3% in 2018. We aim to increase this by 1% during the 2020 financial year.

WIZZ is currently implementing over 65 various fuel saving initiatives to make sure that we minimise our fuel

consumption. While undeniably good for business, it also means that we operate in as environmentally friendly

a way as possible. Since 2012 we implemented several projects and initiatives, including the improvement of

economic flying speed, descent optimization and zonal drying, which add up nearly 100,000 tons reduction

of CO2 emissions per year, or over 3% per aircraft per year.

1 Data of 31 March 2019

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 72

GOVERNANCE

CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY

CONTINUED

WIZZ cares for the Environment

continued

Implementing fuel saving initiatives continued

A major initiative is the use of sharklets a type of Airbus blended winglet devices, intended to improve the

efficiency of an aircraft and reduce interference drag at the wing. On average, sharklets can reduce the fuel

burn by up to 4% when compared to wingtip fences, which may correspond to an annual saving of 900 tonnes

of CO

per aircraft according to Airbus

. At the end of FY19, almost 70% of Wizz Air’s fleet was equipped with

sharklets. This number will grow as we phase out older aircraft and, as all of our brand-new Airbus A321ceo

and A320neo Family aircraft will be delivered with sharklets, 100% of our fleet will be equipped with sharklets

by 2024. Furthermore, as the saving potential of sharklets is higher on longer routes, Wizz Air always deploys

aircraft equipped with sharklets for long distances.

As a result of the numerous fuel-saving initiatives, Wizz Air is proud to have one of the lowest emission rates

in European airline industry. In the 2019 Financial Year, our carbon emissions per passenger kilometre were

58.5 grams, down from 59.9 grams in the prior financial year.

Reported CO2 emissions by airline

Limiting our paper use

The Wizz Air Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) project aims to minimize the amount of paper-based documents and

increase efficiency in the cockpits of our aircraft. Before we started using EFB, every flight deck of every

aircraft in our fleet contained over 25.000 pages of documentation, of which several pages needed to be

updated on a regular basis. Now, they are now equipped with two Panasonic FZ-G1 Touchpad tablets,

containing all mandatory manuals, as well as some informational materials and company-issued documents.

The long-term EFB project also includes the development of an e-loadsheet, as well as connectivity between

aircraft avionics and the tablets, which will further reduce paper use. Wizz Air also plans to introduce an

electronic quick reference handbook and checklists and to replace the hard copy operational flight plan and

operational logs and forms with electronic versions as well.

WIZZ cares

for the People around us

Wizz Air’s operations can affect many people’s lives – those of our colleagues, our passengers and residents

of the communities we serve. We stay loyal to our mission that “We will break down every barrier between

people and air travel”.

We are continuously developing our services to enhance our customer experience and to support the

communities where we operate, but we also work hard to offer new and outstanding career development

support and opportunities for both current and potential WIZZ employees. We believe that our diverse team

is the company’s greatest asset, therefore, we are committed engaging with our colleagues and increase our

already high employee satisfaction rate.

2 http://www.airbus.com/newsroom/press-releases/en/2013/10/airbus-launches-sharklet-retrofit-for-in-service-a320-family-

aircraft.html

58.5

66.7

78.5

WIZZ RYA EZY AF-KLM IAG LH

CO2 Emissions (g/RPK)

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 73

GOVERNANCE

CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY

CONTINUED

WIZZ cares for the People around us

continued

Engaging our employees

We want Wizz Air to be not just a great airline, but a great airline to work for. As at 31 March 2019, Wizz Air

employs over 4500 employees across its network, consisting of approximately 2800 cabin crew, 1400 pilots

and 320 office employees. In order to measure the satisfaction level of our employees, we conduct a regular

employee engagement survey, asking for their feedback on major employment topics. The Employee Feedback

Survey carried out in January 2018 had a participation rate of over 70%, and showed that our employees are

highly engaged and that Wizz Air is their employer of choice. The general satisfaction within the WIZZ Team

was 79%, which is 19% higher than the average engagement rate measured in Europe and 14% higher

compared to global results

. Overall, 89% of the WIZZ Team is optimistic about the future of our company.

Wizz Air has also established the WIZZ People Council, a community of WIZZ staff that facilitates an effective

two-way communication between the management and employees, to support the decision-making process

on matters which affect all within the company

In order to strengthen workforce engagement, Wizz Air has decided to appoint an independent non-executive

director to oversee engagement with employees. Mr. Barry Eccleston, who joined the Board of Wizz Air

Holdings Plc on 1 June 2018, was appointed as independent non-executive director overseeing engagement

with employees from 1 January 2019. In his role, Mr. Eccleston ensures the employee voice reaches the

boardroom. As at 31 March 2019, Mr. Eccleston has visited three of the largest bases in Wizz Air network, has

attended sessions of the Wizz People Council, has organized a meeting between all Wizz People Council

members and the Board, has delivered floor talks to Wizz Air office employees and has reported back to the

Board.

Wizz Air offers a competitive salary and rewards the exceptional performance of a number of employees with

its annual Leadership Awards. The winners of the awards receive a number of zero-cost share options which

can be exercised after a three year vesting period. From time to time, employees may receive free tickets for

use throughout Wizz Air’s network, to celebrate exceptional company performance or milestones.

As the company continues to grow and the number of operational bases and countries increases, the

importance of internal communication increases as well. A regular bi-weekly electronic newsletter is

distributed to all employees, containing business updates as well as news about local team events and

individual accomplishments of our team members.

As people are Wizz Air’s most important asset, we are continuously looking to implement new initiatives to

further engage our team and enhance their work experience. Over the course of the past years, the company

introduced a bigger variety in roster patterns for the Flight Crew, a WIZZ Star Crew recognition program for

Cabin Crew and more transparency on open vacancies within the company, amongst many other

improvement projects. We are keen that the talented people who make up the WIZZ Team are able to develop

their careers at Wizz Air and it is gratifying to see a number of colleagues developing their careers by moving

between the operations department and office and vice versa.

Recruiting and developing talents

Wizz Air is continuously recruiting people who are passionate about the aviation industry. The company

recruited 1,200 new employees in the 2019 financial year – which results in an impressive figure of 3.3 new

colleagues joining the company daily.

We strongly invest in the recruitment of talented pilots, via the Wizz Air Cadet Program, a partnership with

BAA Training, which offers young, passionate candidates the required training and a letter of engagement

after successful completion. Wizz Air has also launched and is successfully running its own Pilot Academy in

Poland, Romania, Bulgaria and Hungary which provides financial support, including partial sponsorship, to

motivated cadets during their initial training. Pilot Academy cadets who successfully graduate from the

program can begin their employment at Wizz Air as Pilot Trainees.

Wizz Air recently implemented a new standardized Training & Development program and Talent Management

process for its office employees, allowing for an improved formal, systematic evaluation based on agreed

performance goals and a greater focus on each employee’s potential to develop their career with Wizz Air. In

the past 12 months, there have been several examples of internal career progression at both an employee and

management level. These promotions reflect Wizz Air’s principle that talent, commitment and results should

result in career progression. In November 2018, Wizz Air introduced its WIZZdom Journey Training Program

which offers a number of leadership and skills trainings to both office employees and crew stepping into

managerial and office positions. The aim of the program is to provide our employees with the right tools and

development opportunities to excel in their career.

3 Based on the 2017 TRENDS IN GLOBAL EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT report by Aon: http://www.aon.com/engagement18

4 Source: Latest available public data: WIZZ FY19; RY FY18; EZY FY19; KLM, IAG CY2018, LH CY2017

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 74

GOVERNANCE

CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY

CONTINUED

WIZZ cares for the People around us

continued

Committing to diversity and equal opportunities

Since Wizz Air’s foundation in 2003, the company has treated existing and potential employees fairly,

regardless of anything not related to their professional abilities and irrespective of their race, gender or age.

During the recruitment and selection process, we evaluate professional factors including experience and

qualifications in the light of the relevant job requirements and this principle remains throughout employment

with Wizz Air. We expect all of our colleagues to adhere to these same principles, which are set out in The

Wizz Way, our Code of Ethics, along with the expected standards of behaviour for every member of the WIZZ

team.

We value diversity: our international team of over 4500 colleagues brings together more than 51 different

nationalities. At Board level, the ten current Directors are from six different countries and the Company’s

Leadership Team of eleven Officers are from nine different countries.

Within Wizz Air, the overall male to female ratio is balanced, with 51% women working at Wizz Air.

Wizz Air’s continues to strive for equal and non-discriminatory opportunities for all, and is committed to

recruiting both women and men to key positions within its organization. In this past financial year, in a total of

100 office hires, 36% were women and recruitment advisers are instructed to ensure that there is always at

least one female candidate in the short list for senior management positions.

On Officer level the female ratio is 9% with a female Chief Corporate Officer, while two of our ten current

Directors are female and, as the Board searches for additional Directors, it pays particular attention to ensuring

its increased gender diversity.

WIZZ Foundation and WIZZ Aid

During the 2018 financial year, Wizz Air decided to open the WIZZ Foundation, an official funding entity set

up in Hungary, with the aim of supporting the broader community in four different areas: Health, Education,

Child Care and Emergency Aid. The board of trustees consists of four members drawn from Cabin Crew, Flight

Crew and Office. In addition to WIZZ Foundation, Wizz Air also introduced WIZZ Aid, an Employee Emergency

Fund which is designed to provide financial support to colleagues who need urgent medical treatment or

suffer from natural or man-made disasters.

Supporting our communities

Wizz Air understands that affordable air travel is not enough to change the world. That is why we support our

colleagues’ efforts to work with a variety of charitable activities to help local communities in the WIZZ network.

These activities range from collecting donations to help families in Poland, supporting children’s medical

services or donating blood in Hungary, creating better education conditions in Romania or giving presents to

orphans in Macedonia.

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Flight Crew

Cabin Crew

Office Employees

Total

Gender Diversity

Men

Women

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 75

GOVERNANCE

CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY

CONTINUED

WIZZ cares for the People around us

continued

Supporting our communities continued

Wizz Air also aims to support the personal development of young graduates via its annual Wizz Youth

Challenge, organised for two consecutive years already since 2017. This case study competition offers an

interesting challenge to young graduates all over Europe, giving them a chance to develop a project or idea

in a real business environment, and present their cases in front of a jury of industry professionals, gaining useful

feedback and valuable experiences for their further development. The third WIZZ Youth Challenge will be held

in October 2019. Each member of the winning team receives unlimited travel on the Wizz Air network for a

period of one year.

As a company, we keep ourselves lean and efficient – and we strive to give people across our network the

chance to do the same. Because we believe that, just like affordable travel, a healthy and active lifestyle should

be available to everyone. We are proud to sponsor several Central and Eastern European running events,

including the Budapest Half Marathon, our flagship event, and races in Cluj-Napoca, Sofia, Skopje, Kyiv and

Katowice. We also actively promote this healthy lifestyle amongst our employees, by offering them the chance

to join these events to represent Team WIZZ across Central and Eastern Europe.

WIZZ cares

for the Economy

WIZZ knows affordable air travel can improve the lives of many travellers. But it’s easy to forget how it can

change a destination too. Few things are as good for an economy as direct air links – particularly when those

air links are at Wizz Air’s lowest fares and sustainable operations. And as more and more people have access

to affordable air travel, these travellers boost the economy of the places they visit.

Creating job opportunities

Wizz Air not only provides job opportunities to over 4,500 aviation professionals inside its organisation, but,

through our ever-growing network and operations, we also create numerous new jobs at more than 140

destinations. ACI guidelines suggest that 750 on-site jobs need to be created for every 1 million passengers

carried per year. Based on this, WIZZ supported the creation of 26.000 local jobs in financial year 2019,

carrying 34.6 million passengers on its low-fare routes.

Furthermore, in accordance to its ULCC model, Wizz Air chooses to outsource many supporting tasks at all

levels of the organisation to local, external partners, working in close collaboration with over 5,000 contracted

service providers across its network.

Boosting traffic and tourism

Across Wizz Air’s network, there are several locations where there were no regular air services before Wizz

Air, or where Wizz Air made a significant difference in traffic numbers. After Wizz Air opened its base in Varna,

Bulgaria in 2017, the airport saw a double-digit rise in passengers’ traffic, reaching a record traffic of 2.3 million

passengers in 2018. In Macedonia, largely thanks to Wizz Air’s continued investments, passenger numbers have

tripled in the last ten years and flying interest has boosted. Another example is the Kutaisi International Airport

in Georgia, where in 2018 more than 95% of all passengers were served by Wizz Air. Since the company opened

its base in Kutaisi in September 2016, the airport’s traffic numbers have almost quadrupled, from 182,000

passengers in 2015 to 650,000 in 2018.

Protecting honest and fair business

Wizz Air has implemented internal procedures and measures designed to ensure compliance with all relevant

anti-corruption regulations. The Company’s Anti-Corruption Policy sets out the company’s principles,

prohibitions and practical guidelines relating to bribery or corrupt practices, in order to avoid any corrupt or

improper business practice, for which there is policy of zero tolerance, as well as the avoidance of conflicts of

interest for employees. These policies are part of the mandatory annual training for all WIZZ employees,

ensuring that all employees are up to date.

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 76

GOVERNANCE

DIRECTORS’ REPORT

The Directors present their report and the audited consolidated financial statements for Wizz Air Holdings plc

(“the Company”) and its subsidiaries (“the Group”) for the year ended 31 March 2019.

Results and dividend

The results for the year are shown on page 88.

The Directors do not recommend the payment of a dividend (2018: nil). The directors consider that currently

the existing reserves of the Group can be best utilised in supporting the significant planned future growth of

the Group.

Directors

The Directors of the Company who were in office during the year and up to the date of signing the financial

statements are listed below:

 József Váradi

 William A. Franke

 Stephen L. Johnson

 Simon Duffy

 Guido Demuynck

 Susan Hooper

 Barry Eccleston (appointed with effect from 1 June 2018)

 Peter Agnefjäll (appointed with effect from 24 July 2018)

 Maria Kyriacou (appointed with effect from 25 September 2018)

 Andrew S. Broderick (appointed with effect from 16 April 2019)

 John McMahon (resigned with effect from 24 July 2018)

 Thierry de Preux (resigned with effect from 25 September 2018 2018)

 John R. Wilson (resigned with effect from 16 April 2019)

Going concern

Wizz Air’s business activities, financial performance and financial position, together with factors likely to affect

its future development and performance, are described in the Strategic Report on pages 4 to 27. Principal risks

and uncertainties facing the Group are described on pages 28 to 32. Note 3 to the accounts sets out the

Group’s objectives, policies and procedures for managing its capital and provides details of the risks related

to financial instruments held by the Group.

At 31 March 2019, the Group held cash and cash equivalents of €1,316.0 million while net current assets were

€842.2 million. Other than convertible debt with a balance of €26.8 million the Group has no significant

external borrowings.

The Directors have reviewed financial forecasts including plans to finance future aircraft deliveries. After

making enquiries, the Directors have satisfied themselves that the Group is expected to be able to meet its

commitments and obligations for at least the next twelve months from the date of signing this report.

Accordingly, they continue to adopt the going concern basis in preparing these financial statements.

Viability

In accordance with provision C.2.2 of the UK Corporate Governance Code (2016), the Directors have assessed

the prospects and the viability of the Group over a three-year period to March 2022. The Directors have

determined that the three-year period was the appropriate period because (i) Wizz Air has a fast-expanding

business which gives less certainty of certain key forecasting assumptions over a longer period; and (ii) the

Group’s strategic planning process traditionally covers three years.

Assessment of prospects

The Group’s prospects are assessed by management and the Board primarily through the strategic planning

process. This three-year plan takes into account the current position of the Group, includes the fully detailed

annual operating plan for the financial year starting (in this case for the year ending March 2020) and then,

building on it, a sufficiently detailed bottom-up forecast for further two financial years. The Board participates

fully in the process by aligning the key assumptions and the topline financial targets, reviewing and approving

the annual operating plan, and reviewing and acknowledging the three-year plan.

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 77

GOVERNANCE

DIRECTORS’ REPORT

CONTINUED

Viability

continued

Assessment of viability

The plan takes into account the existing aircraft order book of the Group that defines a programmed growth

for several years ahead. Financing of future aircraft deliveries is already secured with lease contracts until the

end of 2019. The Directors believe that the growth assumptions are justified also from the demand side, as the

Group continues to execute its core strategy that is to have lower cost than any of its competitors, and with

low prices stimulate further demand for its services both in existing and new markets.

Although the strategic plan reflects management and the Directors’ best estimate of the future prospects of

the business, they have also tested the resilience of the business to unfavorable deviations of certain key

variables from the base case scenario. In defining these scenarios the Directors took into account the principal

risks that could prevent the Group from delivering on its strategy and financial targets, as summarised on

pages 28 to 32 in the Strategic Report.

As part of this assessment, the Directors made the following key assumptions / caveats:

 there will not be a prolonged grounding of a substantial portion of the aircraft fleet; and

 with regards to the expected departure of the UK from the European Union, the terms of exit will be such

that will allow the Group to continue to operate broadly the same network to/from the UK as at present

(due also to the new UK airline entity that started operating during 2018).

The Directors assessed the potential financial impacts of severe but plausible scenarios that the Group could

experience. The scenarios included significant increase in jet fuel prices, significant strengthening of the

US Dollar and weakening of the British Pound to the Euro, decreasing unit revenues, increasing crew costs,

and a combination of these factors. While several risks can impact revenues, increased competition in key

markets was considered the most important risk both in terms of likelihood and potential impact.

The results of the testing showed that, due to the strong competitive position, operating cash flows and

existing reserves of the Group, it would be able to withstand the impact of these scenarios over the period of

the financial forecasts.

Viability statement

Based on this assessment, the Directors have a reasonable expectation that the Group will be able to continue

in operation and meet its liabilities as they fall due over the period to March 2022.

Disclosure of information to auditors

The Directors at the date of approval of the financial statements confirmed that, so far as they are aware, there

is no relevant audit information of which the Company's auditors are unaware, and they have taken all the

steps that they ought to have taken as Directors in order to make themselves aware of any relevant audit

information and to establish that the Company's auditors are aware of that information.

Independent auditors

A resolution for the appointment of the auditors of the Company for the financial year ending 31 March 2020

is to be proposed by the Directors at the forthcoming annual general meeting.

Indemnities

Wizz Air maintains directors’ and officers’ liability insurance. This insurance covers any claim that may be

brought against the Directors in the exercise of their duties. Wizz Air has also provided customary third-party

indemnities to its Directors, to the extent permitted under Jersey law.

Political donation and expenditure

Wizz Air works constructively with all levels of government across its network, regardless of political affiliation.

Wizz Air believes in the right of individuals to engage in the democratic process; however, Wizz Air itself does

not make any political donations and does not incur any political expenditure.

Capital structure

As at 31 March 2019, the Company had 72,787,170 Ordinary Shares of £0.0001 each in issue, each with one

vote, and 29,830,503 Convertible Shares, which do not entitle the holder to voting rights save in very limited

circumstances. There were no shares held in treasury at that date. The rights and obligations attaching to the

Company’s shares are set out in the articles of association. Holders of Ordinary Shares have the following

rights:

a) subject to any rights or restrictions as to voting attached to any Ordinary Shares, on a show of hands,

each Shareholder present in person shall have one vote, and on a poll each Shareholder present in person

or by proxy shall have one vote for every Ordinary Share of which he is the holder;

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 78

GOVERNANCE

DIRECTORS’ REPORT

CONTINUED

Capital structure

continued

b) a certificated share may be transferred by means of an instrument in writing, either by the usual transfer

form or in any other form that the Board approves, signed by or on behalf of the person transferring the

Ordinary Shares and, unless the Ordinary Shares are fully paid, by or on behalf of the person acquiring

the Ordinary Shares. Ordinary Shares in uncertificated form may be transferred by means of the relevant

system;

c) the right to receive dividends on a pari passu basis; and

d) on a winding-up, the liquidator may divide amongst the members in specie the whole or any part of the

assets of the Company.

During the 2019 financial year 40,999 new Ordinary Shares were allotted for cash, all on a non-pre-emptive

basis. These were allotted pursuant to the exercise of share options by the employees of the Group.

The aggregate nominal value of the Ordinary Shares allotted for cash in the 2019 financial year was £4.1.

The aggregate cash consideration received by the Company for the allotment of the Ordinary Shares was £

nil.

Corporate governance statement

The corporate governance statement, prepared in accordance with rule 7.2 of the UK Listing Authority’s

Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules sourcebook, can be found in the Wizz Air Holdings Plc Corporate

Governance Report on page 36. The Wizz Air Holdings plc Corporate Governance Report forms part of this

Wizz Air Holdings plc Directors’ Report and is incorporated into it by this reference.

Information required by Listing Rule LR 9.8.4C

In compliance with Listing Rule 9.8.4C, the Company discloses the following information:

Listing Rule Information required Relevant disclosure

9.8.4(1) Interest capitalised by the Group N//A

9.8.4(2) Unaudited financial information as required (LR 9.2.18) Unaudited financial

information was

published by the

Group in its interim

management

statements (for Q1 and

Q3) and in its half-year

results. There have

been no changes to

the unaudited

information previously

published.

9.8.4(4) Long-term incentive plans (LR 9.4.3) See Directors’

Remuneration Report.

9.8.4(5) Directors’ waivers of emoluments N/A

9.8.4(6) Directors’ waivers of future emoluments N/A

9.8.4(7) Non-pro-rata allotments of equity for cash (the Company) See paragraph headed

“Capital structure” in

this report.

9.8.4(8) Non-pro-rata allotments of equity for cash (major subsidiaries) N/A

9.8.4(10) Contracts of significance involving a Director N/A

9.8.4(11) Contracts of significance involving a controlling shareholder N/A

9.8.4(12) Waivers of dividends N/A

9.8.4(13) Waivers of future dividends N/A

9.8.4(14) Agreement with a controlling shareholder (LR 9.2.2.AR(2)(a)) See Corporate

Governance Report.

For and on behalf of the Board

József Váradi

Chief Executive Officer

31 May 2019

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 79

GOVERNANCE

COMPANY INFORMATION

Registered number

103356

Registered office

44 The Esplanade

St Helier

Jersey

JE4 9WG

Secretary

Elian Corporate Services (Jersey) Limited

44 The Esplanade

St Helier

Jersey

JE4 9WG

Independent auditors

PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, Chartered

Accountants and Statutory Auditors

1 Embankment Place

London

WC2N 6RH

United Kingdom

Principal bankers

Citibank

Citigroup Centre

25 Canada Square

Canary Wharf

London

E14 5LB

United Kingdom

Share registrar

Computershare Investor Services (Jersey)

Limited

Queensway House

Hilgrove Street

St Helier

Jersey

JE1 1ES

Financial public relations

FTI Consulting

200 Aldersgate Street

London

EC1A 4HD

United Kingdom

Principal legal advisers

Latham and Watkins (London) LLP

99 Bishopsgate

London

EC2M 3XF

United Kingdom

Joint corporate brokers

Barclays Bank PLC

1 Churchill Place

London

E14 5HP

United Kingdom

J.P. Morgan Cazenove

25 Bank Street

Canary Wharf

London

E14 5JP

United Kingdom

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 80

GOVERNANCE

STATEMENT OF DIRECTORS’ RESPONSIBILITIES

The Directors are responsible for preparing the annual report and the financial statements in accordance with

applicable law and regulations.

The Companies (Jersey) Law 1991 requires the Directors to prepare financial statements for each financial year.

Under that law the Directors have prepared the Group financial statements in accordance with International

Financial Reporting Standards (IFRSs) as adopted by the European Union. Under company law the Directors

must not approve the financial statements unless they are satisfied that they give a true and fair view of the

state of affairs of the Group and of the profit or loss of the Group for that period. In preparing these financial

statements, the Directors are required to:

 select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;

 make judgments and accounting estimates that are reasonable and prudent;

 state whether applicable IFRSs as adopted by the European Union have been followed, subject to any

material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements; and

 prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the

Company will continue in business.

The Directors are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that are sufficient to show and explain

the Company’s transactions and disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the

Company and the Group and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies

(Jersey) Law 1991 and the Directors’ Remuneration Report complies with the Companies Act 2006. They are

also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the Company and the Group and hence for taking reasonable

steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

The Directors are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the Company’s website. Legislation in

Jersey and the United Kingdom governing the preparation and dissemination of financial statements may

differ from legislation in other jurisdictions.

The Directors consider that the annual report and accounts, taken as a whole, is fair, balanced and

understandable and provides the information necessary for Shareholders to assess the Company’s position

and performance, business model and strategy.

Each of the Directors, whose names and functions are listed on pages 39 to 42 confirm that, to the best of

their knowledge:

 the Group financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with IFRSs as adopted by the

EU, give a true and fair view of the assets, liabilities, financial position and profit of the Group; and

 the Strategic Report contained in the annual report includes a fair, balanced and understandable review

of the position and performance of the business and the position of the Group, together with a description

of the principal risks and uncertainties that it faces.

On behalf of the Board

József Váradi

Director

31 May 2019

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 81

INDEPENDENT AUDITORS’ REPORT TO THE MEMBERS OF WIZZ

AIR HOLDINGS PLC

Report on the group financial statements

Our opinion

In our opinion, Wizz Air Holdings plc’s group financial statements (the “financial statements”):

 give a true and fair view of the state of the group's affairs as at 31 March 2019 and of its profit and cash

flows for the year then ended;

 have been properly prepared in accordance with IFRSs as adopted by the European Union; and

 have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Companies (Jersey) Law 1991.

We have audited the financial statements, included within the Annual Report, which comprise: the

consolidated statement of financial position as at 31 March 2019; the consolidated statement of comprehensive

income, the consolidated statement of cash flows, and the consolidated statement of changes in equity for

the year then ended; and the notes to the financial statements, which include a description of the significant

accounting policies.

Basis for opinion

We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) (“ISAs (UK)”) and

applicable law. Our responsibilities under ISAs (UK) are further described in the Auditors’ responsibilities for

the audit of the financial statements section of our report. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained

is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.

Independence

We remained independent of the group in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our

audit of the financial statements in the UK, which includes the FRC’s Ethical Standard, as applicable to listed

entities, and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements.

Our audit approach

Overview

Materiality

 Overall group materiality: €15.0 million (2018: €14.3

million), based on 5% of

profit before tax.

Audit scope



The group financial statements are a consolidation of Wizz Air Holdings plc, the

trading subsidiaries Wizz Air Hungary Kft, Wizz Air UK Limited and Wizz Tours

Kft and a

number of insignificant intermediate holding, small trading, and

dormant and ceased operation companies.



The accounting for these entities and the group consolidation is largely

centralised in Hungary where the majority of our audit work was performed.

 Our

audit scope comprised an audit of Wizz Air Holdings plc and the complete

financial information of Wizz Air Hungary Kft and Wizz Air UK Limited

, being

the significant components.

Key audit matters

 Aircraft maintenance provisioning.

 Hedge and derivative accounting.

 Accounting for and presentation of one-off items

The scope of our audit and our key audit matters

We designed our audit by determining materiality and assessing the risks of material misstatement in the

financial statements. In particular, we looked at where the directors made subjective judgements, for example

in respect of significant accounting estimates that involved making assumptions and considering future events

that are inherently uncertain. As in all of our audits we also addressed the risk of management override of

internal controls, including testing journals and evaluating whether there was evidence of bias by the directors

that represented a risk of material misstatement due to fraud.

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 82

INDEPENDENT AUDITORS’ REPORT TO THE MEMBERS OF WIZZ

AIR HOLDINGS PLC

CONTINUED

Report on the group financial statements continued

Our audit approach continued

Key audit matters

Key audit matters are those matters that, in the auditors’ professional judgement, were of most significance in

the audit of the financial statements of the current period and include the most significant assessed risks of

material misstatement (whether or not due to fraud) identified by the auditors, including those which had the

greatest effect on: the overall audit strategy; the allocation of resources in the audit; and directing the efforts

of the engagement team. These matters, and any comments we make on the results of our procedures thereon,

were addressed in the context of our audit of the financial statements as a whole, and in forming our opinion

thereon, and we do not provide a separate opinion on these matters. This is not a complete list of all risks

identified by our audit.

Key audit matter How our audit addressed the key audit matter

Aircraft maintenance provisioning

The group operates aircraft, which are held under

operating lease arrangements, and incurs liabilities

for maintenance during the term of the lease.

Provisions arise from legal and contractual

obligations relating to the condition of the aircraft

when it is returned to the lessor. The risk is that with

the inherent level of management judgement

required in calculating the amount of provision

together with the complexity of the calculation and

the number of variable factors and assumptions, the

provision may be inaccurate, incomplete and

misstated.

Maintenance provisions of €138.3 million for aircraft

maintenance costs in respect of operating leased

aircraft are recorded in the financial statements at 31

March 2019 (refer to Note 29 to the financial

statements).

For aircraft held under operating lease agreements,

the group is contractually committed to either

return the aircraft in a certain condition or to

compensate the lessor based on the actual condition

of the aircraft and its major components upon

return.

Provision is made for the minimum unavoidable

costs of specific future obligations created by the

lease at the time when such obligation becomes

certain. This is when the respective aircraft

component no longer meets the lease re-delivery

conditions. Commonly there is a warranty period for

components at the start, during which no obligation

arises; provisioning only commences after this

warranty period.

At each balance sheet date, the calculation of the

maintenance provision, derived from the

maintenance provision system (MPS), includes a

number of variable factors and assumptions

including: likely utilisation of the aircraft; the

expected cost of the heavy maintenance check and

the time it is expected to occur; the condition of the

aircraft; and the lifespan of life-limited parts.

We evaluated the integrity of the maintenance

provision system (“MPS”) and tested the

calculations therein. This included assessing the

process by which the variable factors within the

provision were estimated, evaluating the

reasonableness of the assumptions, testing the input

data and re-performing calculations. We found no

significant issues in the MPS input data or the

calculated maintenance assets and provisions. The

basis for these calculations was found to be

consistent with prior periods and in line with the

detailed accounting policy set out in Note 2.

We compared the cost assumptions in the MPS with

recent invoices, inspected and approved

maintenance plans as well as validated current flight

hours and flight cycles to non-financial data sources.

We found no material exceptions from these

procedures and estimates.

We obtained new or amended aircraft lease

contracts and validated the updated MPS input data.

We found no material exceptions from these

procedures.

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 83

INDEPENDENT AUDITORS’ REPORT TO THE MEMBERS OF WIZZ

AIR HOLDINGS PLC

CONTINUED

Report on the group financial statements continued

Our audit approach continued

Key audit matters continued

Key audit matter How our audit addressed the key audit matter

Hedge and derivative accounting

The group uses derivative and non-derivative

(natural hedges) financial instruments to hedge

transaction currency and jet fuel price risks. The risk

is that because of their materiality to the financial

position of the group, the level of manual input in

monitoring open, closed and settled derivatives and

the complexity of the requirements in order to apply

hedge accounting (e.g. timely tailored

documentation, including details of how hedge

effectiveness is monitored both prospectively and

retrospectively), an error could result in a material

misstatement to the financial statements.

At 31 March 2019, derivative financial assets

amounted to €31.5 million and derivative financial

liabilities were €18.8 million. Further details are set

out in Notes 2, 3 and 20 to the financial statements.

We evaluated the processes, procedures and

controls in respect of the group’s treasury and other

management functions which directly impact the

relevant account balances and transactions. We

tested management’s year-end account

reconciliation process, including cut-off procedures.

The results of this work allowed us to focus on

substantiating the year-end positions recorded in the

financial statements. We independently obtained

direct confirmations from each of the counterparties

to test the cut-off at the year end. We found no

material exceptions from these confirmations.

We assessed the appropriateness of hedge

accounting for the derivative financial instruments

and performed testing procedures over the hedge

documentation and effectiveness testing and noted

no significant exceptions. We tested, using

independent data-feeds, the fair values being

ascribed to those instruments at the year end and

noted no significant exceptions.

We also assessed the appropriateness of the

disclosures in the financial statements in respect of

derivative financial instruments. We did not identify

any significant issues with the measurement or

presentation of the group’s derivative financial

instruments and hedge accounting.

Accounting for and presentation of one-off items

As disclosed in Note 8 ‘Operating profit’, the group’s

profit before tax has benefitted by €44.5m from a

number of aircraft and engine sale and lease back

transactions and certain supplier contract

negotiations.

The overall amount is material to the financial

statements and the accounting measurement

includes judgements made by management.

Consequently, there is inherent risk of material

misstatement with respect to these transactions.

In addition, disclosure of the impact of these

transactions on the group’s profit before tax needs to

be appropriately prominent to ensure the financial

statements overall are reported as fair, balanced and

understandable.

We obtained and reviewed the contracts relevant to

each of the transactions and agreed that purchase

and sale price amounts in respect of sale and lease

back transactions are accurate.

We considered qualitative aspects of each contract,

including the existence of any linkage of purchase

and maintenance contracts and whether lease back

contracts are at fair value. In addition, we used our

valuation experts to conclude on whether sales

prices for sale and lease back items are at fair value

or below.

With respect to supplier contract negotiations, we

obtained and audited the underlying contract and

agreed the accuracy of the amounts being recorded.

We found no material misstatements in the

accounting measurement and treatment of the

above items. In addition, we are satisfied that the

disclosure as presented is appropriate.

How we tailored the audit scope

We tailored the scope of our audit to ensure that we performed enough work to be able to give an opinion on

the financial statements as a whole, taking into account the geographic structure of the group, the accounting

processes and controls, and the industry in which the group operates.

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 84

INDEPENDENT AUDITORS’ REPORT TO THE MEMBERS OF WIZZ

AIR HOLDINGS PLC

CONTINUED

Report on the group financial statements continued

Our audit approach continued

How we tailored the audit scope continued

The Group has two reporting segments which comprise the airline and tour operator businesses. The airline

segment consists of Wizz Air Holdings plc and its trading subsidiaries Wizz Air Hungary Kft and Wizz Air UK

Limited, which include branch operations in base countries. The Tour reporting segment consists of the Wizz

Tours Kft operations which sells travel packages to external customers. Wizz Tours was closed during the year.

The airline segment contributes over 98% of revenues and substantially the entire profit before income tax of

the group. Therefore, our audit scope comprised an audit of Wizz Air Holdings plc and the complete financial

information of Wizz Air Hungary Kft and Wizz Air UK Limited, being the only significant components. The

accounting for these entities and the group consolidation is centralised in Hungary.

The audit was performed by a single engagement team comprising individuals based in the UK and in Hungary.

The operations were audited by applying their collective knowledge and understanding of the group and its

financial reporting processes and controls.

In addition to the audit work performed by the engagement team based in Hungary, the UK team members

visited the team in Hungary five times during the audit cycle. These visits involved discussing the audit

approach, key audit matters and issues arising from our work. The UK team members also attended the local

clearance meeting in Hungary and all Audit Committee meetings in Switzerland, either in person or via

telephone call. This gave us the evidence we required for our opinion on the financial statements as a whole.

Materiality

The scope of our audit was influenced by our application of materiality. We set certain quantitative thresholds

for materiality. These, together with qualitative considerations, helped us to determine the scope of our audit

and the nature, timing and extent of our audit procedures on the individual financial statement line items and

disclosures and in evaluating the effect of misstatements, both individually and in aggregate on the financial

statements as a whole.

Based on our professional judgement, we determined materiality for the financial statements as a whole

as follows:

Overall group materiality

€15.0 million (2018: €14.3 million).

How we determined it

5% of profit before income tax.

Rationale for benchmark applied

We believe that profit before income tax is the primary measure used

by shareholders in assessing the performance of the group.

We agreed with the Audit Committee that we would report to them misstatements identified during our audit

above €0.75 million (2018: €0.70 million) as well as misstatements below that amount that, in our view,

warranted reporting for qualitative reasons.

Going concern

In accordance with ISAs (UK) we report as follows:

Reporting obligation

We are required to report if we have anything material to

add or draw attention to in respect of the directors’

statement in the financial statements about whether the

directors considered it appropriate to adopt the going

concern basis of accounting in preparing the financial

statements and the directors’ identification of any material

uncertainties to the group’s ability to continue as a going

concern over a period of at least twelve months from the

date of approval of the financial statements.

Outcome

We have nothing material to add or to

draw

attention to. However, because not all future

events or conditions can be predicted, this

statement is not a guarantee as to the group’s

ability to continue as a going concern.

For example, the terms on which the United

Kingdom may withdraw from the E

uropean

Union are not clear, and it is difficult to evaluate

all of the potential implications on the group’s

trade, customers, suppliers and the wider

economy.

We agreed to report if the directors’ statement relating to

Going Concern in accordance with Listing Rule 9.8.6R(3)

is materially inconsistent with our knowledge obtained in

the audit as if the Company were a UK registered

company.

We have nothing to report.

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 85

INDEPENDENT AUDITORS’ REPORT TO THE MEMBERS OF WIZZ

AIR HOLDINGS PLC

CONTINUED

Report on the group financial statements continued

Reporting on other information

The other information comprises all of the information in the Annual Report other than the financial statements

and our auditors’ report thereon. The directors are responsible for the other information. Our opinion on the

financial statements does not cover the other information and, accordingly, we do not express an audit opinion

or, except to the extent otherwise explicitly stated in this report, any form of assurance thereon.

In connection with our audit of the financial statements, our responsibility is to read the other information and,

in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the financial statements or

our knowledge obtained in the audit, or otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If we identify an

apparent material inconsistency or material misstatement, we are required to perform procedures to conclude

whether there is a material misstatement of the financial statements or a material misstatement of the other

information. If, based on the work we have performed, we conclude that there is a material misstatement of

this other information, we are required to report that fact. We have nothing to report based on these

responsibilities.

Based on the responsibilities described above and our work undertaken in the course of the audit, ISAs (UK)

require us also to report certain opinions and matters as described below (required by ISAs (UK) unless

otherwise stated).

The directors’ assessment of the prospects of the group and of the principal risks that would threaten

the solvency or liquidity of the group

As a result of the directors’ voluntary reporting on how they have applied the UK Corporate Governance Code

(the “Code”), we are required to report to you if we have anything material to add or draw

attention to

regarding:

 The directors’ confirmation on page 28

of the Annual Report that they have carried out a robust

assessment of the principal risks facing the group, including those that would threaten its business model,

future performance, solvency or liquidity.



The disclosures in the Annual Report that describe those risks and explain how they are being managed

or mitigated.

 The directors’ explanation on pages 76 and 77 of

the Annual Report as to how they have assessed the

prospects of the group, over what period

they have done so and why they consider that period to be

appropriate, and their statement as to whether they have a reasonable expectation that the group will be

able to continue in operation and meet its liabilities as they fall due over

the period of their assessment,

including any related disclosures drawing attention to any necessary qualifications or assumptions.

We have nothing to report in respect of this responsibility.

We agreed to review the directors’ statement that they have ca

rried out a robust assessment of the principal

risks facing the group and statement in relation to the longer-term viability of the group

in accordance with

Listing Rule 9.8.6R(3). Our review was substantially less in scope than an audit and only consisted

of making

inquiries and considering the directors’ process supporting their statements; checking that the statements are

in alignment with the relevant provisions of the UK Corporate Governance Code (the “Code”); and considering

whether the statements are

consistent with the knowledge and understanding of the group and its

environment obtained in the course of the audit. We have nothing to report.

Other Code Provisions

We are required to report to you if, in our opinion:

 The statement given by the directors, on page 80

, that they consider the Annual Report taken as a whole

to be fair, balanced and understandable, and provides the information necessary for the members to

assess the group’s position and performance, business model and strategy is materially

inconsistent with

our knowledge of the group obtained in the course of performing our audit.

 The section of the Annual Report on pages 50 to 52

describing the work of the Audit Committee does not

appropriately address matters communicated by us to the Audit Committee.



The directors’ statement relating to the company’s compliance with the Code does not properly disclose

a departure from a relevant

provision of the Code specified, under the Listing Rules, for review by the

auditors.

We have nothing to report in respect of this responsibility.

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 86

INDEPENDENT AUDITORS’ REPORT TO THE MEMBERS OF WIZZ

AIR HOLDINGS PLC

CONTINUED

Report on the group financial statements continued

Reporting on other information continued

Strategic Report and Directors’ Report

In our opinion, the information given in the Strategic Report and the Directors’ Report for the financial year for

which the financial statements are prepared is consistent with the financial statements.

Directors’ Remuneration Report

The company voluntarily prepares a Directors’ Remuneration Report in accordance with the provisions of the

UK Companies Act 2006. The directors have requested that we audit the part of the Directors’ Remuneration

Report specified by the Companies Act 2006 to be audited as if the company were a UK Registered quoted

company. In our opinion, the part of the Directors’ Remuneration Report to be audited has been properly

prepared in accordance with the Companies Act 2006.

Responsibilities for the financial statements and the audit

Responsibilities of the directors for the financial statements

As explained more fully in the Statement of Directors’ Responsibilities set out on page 80, the directors are

responsible for the preparation of the financial statements in accordance with the applicable framework and

for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view. The directors are also responsible for such internal control

as they determine is necessary to enable the preparation of financial statements that are free from material

misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.

In preparing the financial statements, the directors are responsible for assessing the group’s ability to continue

as a going concern, disclosing as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern

basis of accounting unless the directors either intend to liquidate the group or to cease operations, or have no

realistic alternative but to do so.

Auditors’ responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements

Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free

from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditors’ report that includes our

opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance, but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in

accordance with ISAs (UK) will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise

from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be

expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these financial statements.

A further description of our responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements is located on the FRC’s

website at: www.frc.org.uk/auditorsresponsibilities. This description forms part of our auditors’ report.

Use of this report

This report, including the opinions, has been prepared for and only for the company’s members as a body in

accordance with Article 113A of the Companies (Jersey) Law 1991 and for no other purpose. We do not, in

giving these opinions, accept or assume responsibility for any other purpose or to any other person to whom

this report is shown or into whose hands it may come save where expressly agreed by our prior consent in

writing.

Other required reporting

Companies (Jersey) Law 1991 exception reporting

Under the Companies (Jersey) Law 1991 we are required to report to you if, in our opinion we have not received

all the information and explanations we require for our audit. We have no exceptions to report arising from

this responsibility.

Richard Porter

for and on behalf of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

Chartered Accountants and Recognized Auditor

London, United Kingdom

31 May 2019

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 87

ACCOUNTS

AND OTHER

INFORMATION

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 88

ACCOUNTS AND OTHER INFORMATION

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2019

2019

2018

Continuing operations

Note

€ million

Passenger ticket revenue

6,7

1,366.1

1,132.2

Ancillary revenue

6,7

953.0

806.8

Total revenue

2,319.1

1,939.0

Staff costs

(198.6)

(147.6)

Fuel costs

(667.9)

(479.8)

Distribution and marketing

(37.8)

(33.1)

Maintenance materials and repairs

(115.1)

(98.6)

Aircraft rentals

(326.0)

(276.3)

Airport, handling and en-route charges

(550.3)

(465.7)

Depreciation and amortisation

(92.7)

(90.6)

Net other expenses

(30.9)

(54.2)

Total operating expenses

(2,019.4)

(1,645.9)

Operating profit

299.8

293.0

Financial income

6.2

2.8

Financial expenses

(4.1)

(5.0)

Net foreign exchange loss

(1.6)

(3.5)

Net financing income/(expense)

0.5

(5.7)

Profit before income tax

300.2

287.3

Income tax expense

(4.9)

(11.0)

Profit from continuing operation

295.3

276.4

Loss from discontinued operation

(3.7)

(1.3)

Profit for the year

291.6

275.1

Other comprehensive income/(expense) – items that may be

subsequently reclassified to profit or loss:

Net movements in cash flow hedging reserve, net of tax

(6.2)

10.0

Currency translation differences

0.5

Other comprehensive income/(expense) for the year, net of tax

from continuing operation

(5.7)

10.0

Total comprehensive income/(expense) for the year

285.9

285.1

from continuing operation

289.6

286.4

from discontinued operation

(3.7)

(1.3)

Earnings per share from continuing operation (Euro/share)

4.06

4.02

Diluted earnings per share from continuing operation

(Euro/share)

2.34

2.19

Earnings per share (Euro/share)

4.01

4.00

Diluted earnings per share (Euro/share)

2.31

2.18

The Notes on pages 93 to 134 are integral part of these financial statements.

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 89

ACCOUNTS AND OTHER INFORMATION

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION

AT 31 MARCH 2019

2019

2018

Note

€ million

ASSETS

Non-current assets

Property, plant and equipment

659.3

684.5

Intangible assets

20.5

17.6

Restricted cash

165.8

159.4

Deferred tax assets

0.1

Deferred interest

2.3

3.4

Derivative financial instruments

3.0

2.5

Trade and other receivables

17.0

43.7

Total non-current assets

867.9

910.9

Current assets

Inventories

31.7

21.6

Trade and other receivables

287.3

195.4

Current tax prepaid

2.4

Derivative financial instruments

28.5

31.7

Deferred interest

0.6

0.2

Restricted cash

23.1

2.8

Cash and cash equivalents

1,316.0

979.6

Total current assets

1.689.5

1,231.1

Total assets

2,557.5

2,142.1

EQUITY AND LIABILITIES

Equity attributable to owners of the parent

Share capital

Share premium

379.1

Reorganisation reserve

(193.0)

Equity part of convertible debt

8.3

Cash flow hedging reserve

12.5

18.7

Cumulated translation adjustments

0.5

Retained earnings

1,320.2

1,028.7

Total equity

1,527.7

1,241.9

Non-current liabilities

Borrowings

2.1

4.7

Convertible debt

26.6

Deferred income

104.2

107.3

Deferred tax liabilities

2.2

7.4

Derivative financial instruments

1.5

0.9

Provisions for other liabilities and charges

45.9

94.8

Total non-current liabilities

182.5 241.7

Current liabilities

Trade and other payables

306.4

249.1

Current tax liabilities

1.8

Borrowings

0.1

0.6

Convertible debt

0.2

0.3

Derivative financial instruments

17.3

12.8

Deferred income

420.0

330.1

Provisions for other liabilities and charges

103.3

63.8

Total current liabilities

847.3

658.5

Total liabilities

1,029.8

900.2

Total equity and liabilities

2,557.5

2,142.1

The Notes on pages 93 to 134 are integral part of these financial statements.

The financial statements on pages 88 to 134 were approved by the Board of Directors and authorised for issue

on 31 May 2019 and were signed on behalf of the Board.

József Váradi

Chief Executive Officer

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 90

ACCOUNTS AND OTHER INFORMATION

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN EQUITY

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2019

capital

premium

Reorganisa

tion

reserve

Equity part

convertible

debt

Cash flow

hedging

reserve

Cumulated

translation

adjustment

Retained

earnings

Total

equity

€ million

Note 28

Balance at 1 April 2018

as stated before -

379.1

(193.0)

8.3

18.7

1,028.7

1,241.9

IFRS 15 adjustment* -

(3.1)

Balance at 1 April 2018

(restated) -

379.1

(193.0)

8.3

18.7

1,025.6

1,238.8

Comprehensive income:

Profit for the year -

291.6

Other

comprehensive

income:

Hedging reserve -

(6.2)

Currency translation

differences

0.5

Total other

comprehensive income

(6.2)

0.5

(5.7)

Total comprehensive

income for the year

(6.2)

0.5

291.6

285.9

Transactions with

owners:

Proceeds from shares

issued (Note 28)

Share-based payment

charge (Note 27)

3.0

Total transactions

with owners

3.0

Balance at 31 March 2019

379.1

(193.0)

8.3

12.5

0.5

1,320.2

1 527.7

* The Company adopted IFRS 15 on 1 April 2018 using the ‘cumulative effect method’. The impact of the transition to IFRS 15

was a reduction in retained earnings (net of tax) of €3.1 million offsetting (i) an increase of €4.7 million in contract liabilities

(unearned revenues) reported as part of deferred income and (ii) an increase of €1.6million in contract assets reported as part

of trade and other receivables in the consolidated statement of financial position as at 1 April 2018. For more details, please

refer to Note 2.

The Notes on pages 93 to 134 are integral part of these financial statements.

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 91

ACCOUNTS AND OTHER INFORMATION

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN EQUITY

CONTINUED

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2018

capital

premium

Reorganisation

reserve

Equity part

convertible

debt

Cash flow

hedging

reserve

Retained

earnings

Total

equity

€ million

Note 28

Balance at 1 April 2017 as

stated before -

378.2

(193.0)

8.3

2.6

756.4

952.5

Hedge time value

reclassification* -

6.1

(6.1)

Balance at 1 April 2017

(restated) -

378.2

(193.0)

8.3

8.7

750.3

952.5

Comprehensive income:

Profit for the year -

275.1

Other

comprehensive

income:

Hedging reserve -

10.0

Total other comprehensive

income -

10.0

Total comprehensive

income for the year -

10.0

275.1

285.1

Transactions with owners:

Proceeds from shares issued

(Note 28) -

0.9

Share-based payment

charge (Note 27) -

3.3

Total transactions

with owners -

0.9

3.3

4.2

Balance at 31 March 2018

379.1

(193.0)

8.3

18.7

1,028.7

1,241.9

* The Group adopted IFRS 9 by restating the opening balances of reserves on 1 April 2017. The €6.1 million gain that related to

the time value of open hedge instruments was reclassified from retained earnings into the cash flow hedging reserve. This is

presented separately from the other movements in reserves in the year.

The Notes on pages 93 to 134 are integral part of these financial statements.

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 92

ACCOUNTS AND OTHER INFORMATION

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2019

2019

2018

Note

€ million

Cash flows from operating activities

Profit before income tax

296.6

286.1

Adjustments for:

Depreciation

87.4

86.9

Amortisation

6.8

3.8

Write-off of intangibles

0.1

Financial income

(6.4)

(2.8)

Financial expense

5.9

8.8

Gain on sale of PPE

(25.7)

(2.2)

Share-based payment charges

3.0

3.2

367.7

383.8

Changes in working capital (excluding the effects of

exchange differences on consolidation)

Increase in trade and other receivables

(57.5)

(38.3)

Increase in restricted cash

(23.8)

(10.6)

Decrease in deferred interest

0.7

2.3

(Increase)/decrease in inventory

(10.1)

3.3

Increase in provisions

3.0

0.4

Increase in trade and other payables

62.2

49.5

Increase in deferred income

79.0

37.4

Cash generated by operating activities before tax

421.2

427.8

Income tax paid

(14.1)

(10.9)

Net cash generated by operating activities

407.1

416.9

Cash flows from investing activities

Purchase of aircraft maintenance assets

(133.0)

(84.1)

Proceeds from the sale of available for sale financial assets

1.0

Purchases of tangible and intangible assets

(61.9)

(25.6)

Proceeds from the sale of tangible assets

57.4

23.8

Advances paid for aircraft

0.0

(219.8)

Refund of advances paid for aircraft

71.3

94.9

Interest received

2.2

0.9

Net cash used in investing activities

(64.0)

(208.9)

Cash flows from financing activities

Proceeds from the issue of share capital

1.0

Interest paid

(3.5)

(2.8)

Commercial loan repaid

(3.1)

(0.6)

Net cash used in financing activities

(6.5)

(2.3)

Net increase in cash and cash equivalents

336.6

205.6

Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the year

979.6

774.0

Effect of exchange rate fluctuations on cash and

cash equivalents

(0.1)

Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the year

1,316.0

979.6

The Notes on pages 93 to 134 are integral part of these financial statements.

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 93

ACCOUNTS AND OTHER INFORMATION

NOTES FORMING PART OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

1. General information

Wizz Air Holdings plc (“the Company”) is a public company incorporated in Jersey under the address

44 The Esplanade, St Helier, Jersey JE4 9WG. The Company is managed from Switzerland. The Company and

its subsidiaries (together referred to as “the Group” or “Wizz Air”) provide low-cost, low-fare passenger air

transportation services on scheduled short-haul and medium-haul point-to-point routes across Europe and

the Middle East.

2. Accounting policies

The principal accounting policies applied in the presentation of these consolidated financial statements are set

out below.

Basis of preparation

These consolidated financial statements consolidate those of the Company and its subsidiaries. The

consolidated financial statements have been prepared and approved by the Directors in accordance with

International Financial Reporting Standards as adopted by the EU (“Adopted IFRSs” and IFRS IC

interpretations).

Based on the exemption provided in Article 105 (11) of the Companies (Jersey) Law 1991 the Company does

not present its individual financial statements and related notes.

The financial statements are presented in Euros, which is the functional currency of all companies in the Group

other than Wizz Air UK Limited and two dormant entities, Dnieper Aviation LLC and Wizz Air Ukraine Airlines

LLC.

The consolidated financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention, as modified

by the revaluation of financial assets and financial liabilities (including derivative instruments) at fair value

through profit or loss.

The preparation of the consolidated financial statements in conformity with IFRS legislates the use of certain

critical accounting estimates and requires management to exercise judgments in the process of applying the

Group's accounting policies. The areas involving a high degree of judgment or complexity or areas where

assumptions and estimates are significant to the consolidated financial statements are disclosed in Note 4.

Change in presentation

The Group’s liabilities for EU 261 passenger compensation were previously presented as accruals under trade

and other payables in the statement of financial position. However, management considered it to be more

appropriate to present this liability under provisions and applied this presentation in 2019.

Prior year comparatives as at 31 March 2018 have been re-presented by reclassifying €5.5 million from trade

and other payables to current provisions (€3.2 million as at 1 April 2017).

New standards and interpretations

a) Standards, amendments and interpretations effective and adopted by the Group

IFRS 15, ‘Revenue from Contracts with Customers’

The Group adopted IFRS 15 as of 1 April 2018 that had the following implications for the Group:

a) Under IFRS 15 revenue is recognised as a result of an entity satisfying its promise to transfer goods or

services in a contract with a customer. The Group recognises revenue to depict the transfer of

promised passenger transport service to its customers at a transaction price that the Group expects

to be entitled to in exchange for the service. The Group analysed each of its contractual obligations

to its customers and reviewed if the different services provided by the Group to the passengers and

other partners qualify as a distinct performance obligation. The Group considers a service to be

distinct from the passenger transport service if the customers can benefit from the service on its own

without the purchase of a flight ticket.

As a result of applying the standard, the recognition of certain ancillary revenue items are deferred to

the flight date while they were recognised previously on the date of sales. For the majority of revenue

items, the date of recognition remained unchanged compared to IAS 18 Revenue.

b) The Group also changed the recognition of part of the card acquirer charges which under IFRS 15 is

considered to be an incremental cost of obtaining a contract resulting in the capitalisation of such

costs as a contract asset.

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 94

ACCOUNTS AND OTHER INFORMATION

NOTES FORMING PART OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

CONTINUED

2. Accounting policies

continued

New standards and interpretations continued

Standards, amendments and interpretations effective and adopted by the Group continued

c) The Group adopted IFRS 15 using the ‘cumulative effect method’ (without practical expedients), with

the effect of initially applying this standard recognised at the date of initial application (i.e. 1 April

2018). Accordingly, the prior period financial statements have not been restated – i.e. they are

presented as previously reported under IAS 18. The impact on transition to IFRS 15 was a reduction in

retained earnings (net of tax) of €3.1 million at 1 April 2018.

d) The above changes resulted in (i) an increase of €4.7 million in contract liabilities (unearned revenues)

reported as part of deferred income and (ii) an increase of €1.6 million in contract assets reported as

part of trade and other receivables in the consolidated statement of financial position as at 1 April

2018.

e) Compared with the amount that would have been recognised under IAS 18 Revenue, total revenue

under IFRS 15 is lower by €4.2 million in 2019. This €4.2 million change is an aggregate change, being

the sum of the following two impacts: (i) €0.6 million less revenue due to recognizing certain revenues

on flight date as opposed to sales date (see paragraph a. above); and (ii) €3.6 million less revenue

due to netting certain passenger compensation payments (primarily EU 261 compensations) with

revenues.

The Group applied ‘Classification and Measurement of Share-based Payment Transactions – Amendments to

IFRS 2’ for the first time for the financial year commencing 1 April 2018. The impact was immaterial on the

Group’s financial statements and it is not expected that it will significantly affect future periods either.

b) Standards early adopted by the Group

There are no standards early adopted by the Group.

c) Interpretations and standards that are not yet effective and have not been early adopted by the

Group

IFRS 16, ‘Leases’

(effective for the accounting periods beginning on or after 1 January 2019)

IFRS 16 addresses the classification, measurement and recognition of leases with the objective of ensuring that

lessees and lessors provide relevant information that faithfully represents those transactions. The standard

supersedes IAS 17, Leases and was endorsed by the EU in 2017.

The Group currently leases all of its aircraft under operating leases; therefore, IFRS 16 materially impacts the

Group as these leases are now required to be recognised on the balance sheet. An assessment of the estimated

impacts of IFRS 16 has been performed by management and is explained below.

The following key issues were considered for the modelling:

Year of adoption:

The date of application is 1 April 2019, the date required by the standard.

Existing leases and transition:

All of the Group’s aircraft and spare engine operating leases that exist at the date of initial application will

come on balance sheet under the new rules. Other smaller value operating leases (e.g. offices) were considered

as being immaterial for the purposes of this analysis.

The Group chose the full retrospective method of transition, as per the standard, and therefore this method

was applied in the modelling for existing leases. Consequently, the Company will restate its financial

statements for the financial year starting 1 April 2018 in the Annual Report and Accounts for the period ending

31 March 2020.

Future aircraft and leases:

New aircraft scheduled to arrive through March 2020 are all financed, except for two contracts for Airbus

A320neo family aircraft in February-March 2020. For the purposes of this modelling, for these two aircraft it

was assumed that they will be leased in the form of operating leases and under terms similar to those that the

Group most recently entered into.

Among the sale and leaseback contracts entered into for aircraft scheduled to arrive from 1 April 2019 there

are a few that include a repurchase option for the Group. Such contracts do not meet the definition of a sale

under IFRS 15 Revenue from Contracts with Customers, and therefore will not be accounted for as a lease

contract under IFRS 16. As a result, the treatment of such contracts for the lessee is to (i) retain the asset as

PP&E (as if there was no sale at all) and (ii) recognise a liability under IFRS 9 (as if the sale proceeds received

from the lessor were receipts from debt financing).

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 95

ACCOUNTS AND OTHER INFORMATION

NOTES FORMING PART OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

CONTINUED

2. Accounting policies

continued

New standards and interpretations continued

c) Interpretations and standards that are not yet effective and have not been early adopted by the

Group

continued

Foreign exchange:

The EUR/USD FX rate was 1.12 on the date of initial application. No change was assumed to this rate for the

lease liability going forward therefore potential foreign exchange gains and losses were not included in the

calculation for the 2020 financial year. However, in reality the lease liability (being a monetary liability) will in

the future be regularly revalued to reflect the changes in currency exchange rates where the currency of the

future lease payments differs from the functional currency of the legal entity having the lease liability. In this

respect the most relevant currency pair for the Group is the US Dollar to Euro, as most future payments under

the aircraft lease contracts of the Group are defined in US Dollar while the functional currency of Wizz Air

Hungary Ltd., that holds most of these contracts, is the Euro. The impact of the movements in this currency

pair is well demonstrated on the re-statement of the 2019 financial year, where the strengthening of the USD

versus the EUR resulted in a significant unrealised FX loss from the revaluation of the lease liability under

IFRS 16.

Other important considerations:

Only those payments meet the definition of lease payments under IFRS 16 that are made to lessors and are

certain at the inception of the lease.

With respect to depreciation, the requirements of IAS 16 Property, Plant and Equipment are applicable also to

the right-of-use assets recognised under IFRS 16. Therefore, component accounting is required for the right-

of-use assets similar to that applicable to owned aircraft or spare engine assets.

The Group’s policy for heavy maintenance accounting for aircraft held under operating lease agreements is

not impacted by IFRS 16.

Discount rate:

The Group is not able to readily determine the interest rate implicit in its lease contracts, therefore the Group

applied its incremental borrowing rate for discounting lease liabilities, as required by para 26 of the standard.

The incremental borrowing rate, in turn, was determined with reference to the market rate of interest

observable on financial instruments with appropriate value, term, and currency, and adjusted, as required, to

reflect risks specific to the leased asset as well as the risk specific to the entity in the Group leasing the asset.

Results of the analysis:

Based on the Group’s provisional estimates, it anticipates that it will recognise the following impacts of IFRS

16 in the 2019 (as restated) and 2020 financial years:

Changes for statements of financial position:

€ million, balance increase / (decrease) 1 April 2018

31 March 2019 31 March 2020

Property, plant and equipment

1,173 (Dr) 1,418 (Dr) 1,252 (Dr)

Retained earnings

(114) (Dr) (280) (Dr) (266) (Dr)

Deferred credit (current and non-current)

(123) (Dr) (116) (Dr) (108) (Dr)

Lease liabilities (current and non-current)

1,410 (Cr) 1,815 (Cr) 1,626 (Cr)

Changes for statements of comprehensive impact:

€ million, cost decrease / (cost increase)

2019 2020

Aircraft rentals (lease expense)

326 400

Depreciation

(244) (278)

Other operating expenses

(19) (26)

Financial expenses (interest expense)

(89) (82)

Foreign exchange impacts

(140) -

Profit before tax

(166) 14

IFRS 16 is not expected to impact current tax because the tax books of the relevant subsidiaries of the Group

will continue to be prepared on the current (non IFRS 16) basis. IFRS 16 will have deferred tax effects but these

will not be material in the 2019-2020 financial years.

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 96

ACCOUNTS AND OTHER INFORMATION

NOTES FORMING PART OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

CONTINUED

2. Accounting policies

continued

Basis of consolidation

The Company controls an entity when the Company is exposed, or it has rights, to variable returns from its

involvement with the entity and has the ability to affect those returns through its power over the entity. The

Company controls an entity if the Company has all of the following:

 power over the entity;

 exposure, or rights, to variable returns from its involvement with the entity;

 the ability to use its power over the entity to affect the amount of its returns from the entity.

Subsidiaries are all entities controlled by the Company. The financial statements of subsidiaries are included in

the consolidated financial statements from the date when control commences until the date when control

ceases. The results of all the subsidiaries are consolidated up to 31 March, which is the financial year end of

the Company. Intra-group balances, and any unrealised gains and losses or income and expenses arising from

intra-group transactions are eliminated in preparing the consolidated financial statements.

Going concern

The financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis which assumes that the Group will

continue in business for the foreseeable future. This assumption is based on the Directors’ assessment of the

Group’s financial performance and position to date, together with a review of its forecasts, in light of the risks

to which the Group is exposed.

Foreign currency

The Group’s presentational currency is the Euro. The functional currency of all the Group entities with the

exception of Dnieper Aviation LLC, Wizz Air Ukraine Airlines LLC and Wizz Air UK Limited is the Euro.

Transactions in foreign currencies are translated into functional currency at the exchange rate ruling at the

date of the transaction. Monetary assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies at the statement of

financial position date are translated into Euros at the exchange rate ruling at that date. Foreign exchange

differences arising on translation are recognised in the statement of comprehensive income as net foreign

exchange gain/loss within net financing income/expense. Non-monetary assets and liabilities denominated in

foreign currencies and which are recognised at their historical cost are translated into Euros at the exchange

rate at the date of the transaction. Non-monetary assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies and

which are stated at fair value are translated into Euros at exchange rates ruling at the dates the fair value was

determined.

The functional currency of Dnieper Aviation LLC and Wizz Air Ukraine Airlines LLC is the Ukrainian Hryvnia

(UAH) while the functional currency of Wizz Air UK Limited is the British Pound (GBP).

The results and financial position of all the Group entities that have a functional currency different from the

presentational currency are translated into the presentational currency as follows:

 assets and liabilities for each statement of financial position presented are translated at the closing rate at

the date of that statement of financial position;

 income and expenses for each statement of comprehensive income are translated at monthly average

exchange rates (unless this average is not a reasonable approximation of the cumulative effect of the rates

prevailing on the transaction dates, in which case income and expenses are translated at the rate on the

dates of the transactions); and

 all resulting exchange differences are recognised as a separate component of equity (cumulative

translation adjustments).

The below exchange rates were used for the translation of UAH into Euros in the respective financial

years:

2019

2018

Closing rate 30.57

32.66

Average rate for the year 31.50

32.42

The below exchange rates were used for the translation of GBP into Euros in the respective financial

years:

2019

2018

Closing rate 0.862

0.876

Average rate for the year 0.858

0.883

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 97

ACCOUNTS AND OTHER INFORMATION

NOTES FORMING PART OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

CONTINUED

2. Accounting policies

continued

Financial assets and liabilities

The Group classifies its financial assets and liabilities – in line with IFRS 9, ‘Financial Instruments’ -– into the

following categories:

Description in the statement

of financial position IFRS 9 Category

Non-current assets

Restricted cash

Trade and other receivables

Financial assets measured at amortised cost

Current assets

Trade and other receivables

Financial assets available for sale

Derivative financial instruments

Restricted cash

Cash and cash equivalents

Financial assets measured at amortised cost

Fair value through other comprehensive income

Fair value through profit or loss

Financial assets measured at amortised cost

Non-current liabilities

Borrowings

Convertible debts

Financial liabilities measured at amortised cost

Current liabilities

Trade and other payables

Borrowings

Convertible debt

Derivative financial instruments

Financial liabilities measured at amortised cost

Fair value through profit or loss

The classification of financial assets depends on the business model for managing the financial assets and

contractual cash flow characteristics of the financial assets determined by the management at initial

recognition.

a) Financial assets measured at amortised cost

These are non-derivative financial assets held by the Group in order to collect contractual cash flows and the

contractual terms of the financial asset give rise on specified dates to cash flows that are solely payments of

principal and interest on the principal amount outstanding.

The Group’s financial assets measured at amortised cost comprise trade and other receivables, cash and cash

equivalents and restricted cash in the statement of financial position. They are included in current assets,

except for maturities greater than twelve months after the statement of financial position date, which are

classified as non-current assets.

The Group invests excess cash primarily in short-term time deposits. Management does not, in the short term,

plan to have held-to-maturity investments.

b) Financial assets measured at fair value through other comprehensive income

These are non-derivative financial assets held by the Group in order both to collect contractual cash flows and

sell the financial assets. The contractual terms of the financial asset give rise on specified dates to cash flows

that are solely payments of principal and interest on the principal amount outstanding.

c) Financial assets measured at fair value through profit or loss

Financial assets not valued either at amortised cost or at fair value through other comprehensive income are

valued at fair value through profit or loss. Derivatives are measured at fair value through profit or loss.

d) Financial liabilities measured at amortised cost

All financial liabilities are measured at amortised cost unless they are measured at fair value through profit or

loss. The Group’s other financial liabilities comprise trade and other payables and interest-bearing loans and

borrowings (including convertible debt) in the statement of financial position. They are included in current

liabilities, except for maturities greater than twelve months after the statement of financial position date that

are classified as non-current liabilities.

e) Financial liabilities measured at fair value through profit or loss

Derivatives are measured at fair value through profit and loss by the Group.

The recognition and measurement criteria for each class of asset and liability are described in the relevant

accounting policy section.

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 98

ACCOUNTS AND OTHER INFORMATION

NOTES FORMING PART OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

CONTINUED

2. Accounting policies

continued

Financial assets and liabilities continued

Derivative financial instruments and hedging

Derivative financial instruments

Derivative financial instruments are recognised initially at fair value. The gain or loss on remeasurement to fair

value is recognised immediately in the statement of comprehensive income within financial income or

expenses. However, where derivatives qualify for hedge accounting, recognition of any resultant gain or loss

depends on the nature of the item being hedged (see below). The Group enters into foreign exchange and jet

fuel price hedging transactions to minimise the impact of fluctuations in foreign exchange rates and fuel price

on the Group. Both types of hedging transactions are cash flow hedges under IFRS 9.

Cash flow hedges

The Group uses zero cost collar and outright forward contracts to hedge commodity and foreign exchange

risks. Derivatives can only be entered into with counterparties with investment-grade credit rating. The spot

and forward elements of forward contracts and the entire value (intrinsic and time value) of options are

designated as the hedging instrument.

Where a derivative financial instrument is designated as a hedge of the variability in cash flows of a recognised

asset or liability, or a highly probable forecast transaction, the effective part of any unrealised gain or loss on

the derivative financial instrument is recognised directly in the hedging reserve within other comprehensive

income. Any ineffective portion of the hedge is recognised immediately in the statement of comprehensive

income as financial income or expenses.

The associated cumulative gain or loss on the effective part is removed from other comprehensive income

and recognised in the statement of comprehensive income in the respective operating expense line(s) in the

same period or periods as the hedged forecast transaction.

The Group considers a hedge relationship to be effective if

 an economic relationship exists between the hedged item and the hedging instrument, and there is an

expectation that the value of the hedging instrument and the value of the hedged item would move in the

opposite direction as a result of the common underlying or hedged risk, and

 the effect of credit risk does not dominate the value changes associated with the hedged risk, and

 the hedge ratio is aligned with the requirements of the Group’s risk management strategy.

The Group does not de-designate and thereby discontinue a hedging relationship that still meets the risk

management objective; and continues to meet all other qualifying criteria (after taking into account any

rebalancing, if applicable).

The hedge ratio applied by the Group is always 100%. The hedge ratio is defined as the relationship between

the quantity of the hedging instrument and the quantity of the hedged item.

When a hedging instrument expires or is sold, terminated or exercised, the cumulative gain or loss at that point

remains in other comprehensive income and is recognised in accordance with the above policy when the

hedged transaction is recognised in the statement of comprehensive income. If the hedged transaction is no

longer expected to take place, the cumulative unrealised gain or loss recognised in other comprehensive

income is recognised in the statement of comprehensive income immediately.

Before expiry, the fair value of an option comprises: i) its intrinsic value, being a function of the difference

between contracted and market (or spot) prices; and ii) its time value, being the difference between the fair

value and the intrinsic value at any point in time. Subject to hedge effectiveness, any increase or decrease in

the fair value of the hedging instrument is taken to equity within other comprehensive income or expense.

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 99

ACCOUNTS AND OTHER INFORMATION

NOTES FORMING PART OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

CONTINUED

2. Accounting policies

continued

Financial assets and liabilities continued

Derivative financial instruments and hedging continued

Cash flow hedges continued

Accordingly:

 Initial recognition: the open position on the derivative hedging instrument is recorded as an asset or

liability in the statement of financial position at fair value.

 Subsequent remeasurement of unexpired options: (i) the effective portion of changes in the fair value is

recorded in other comprehensive income, (ii) the ineffective portion, if any, are recorded as financial

income or expense in the statement of comprehensive income.

 The realised gains or losses on the hedging instrument are recorded against the respective operating

expense line(s) in the statement of comprehensive income.

The calculation method of hedge effectiveness is critical terms match. Hedge effectiveness testing is

performed at inception, at each reporting date, and upon a significant change in the circumstances affecting

the hedge effectiveness requirements. Such significant change can occur as follows:

 changes in timing of the payment of the hedged item;

 reduction in the total amount or price of the hedged item;

 location differences; and

 a significant change in the credit risk of either party to the hedging relationship.

The ineffective part of changes in fair value, if any, is recorded as financial income or expense in the statement

of comprehensive income.

Hedging with non-derivatives

The Group uses its selected financial assets denominated in US Dollars to hedge highly probable future

expenses in US Dollar. The Group applies hedge accounting to part of its non-derivate financial assets, in the

interest of reducing the amount of unrealised foreign exchange gains or losses resulting from the periodic

revaluation of these assets.

The accounting treatment of non-derivatives designated as hedging instruments is identical to the accounting

treatment of derivatives in the sense that:

 the unrealised gains or losses on hedging instruments are recorded as an asset or liability in the statement

of financial position at fair value, and the effective portion of changes in the fair value is recorded in other

comprehensive income; and

 the realised gains or losses on the hedging instruments are recorded against the respective expense line(s)

in the statement of comprehensive income.

Trade and other receivables

 Trade and other receivables are initially recognised when the Group becomes party to the contractual

provisions of the instrument and subsequently measured at their amortised cost using the effective

interest rate method less impairment losses.

 The carrying amount of the asset is reduced through recognising the loss in the statement of

comprehensive income within other expenses. Subsequent recoveries of amounts previously written off

are credited against other expenses in the statement of comprehensive income.

 Other receivables include amounts receivable from aircraft and spare engine lessors (in the form of

security deposits and maintenance reserves paid) and also prepayments, deferred expenses and accrued

income (see Note 19). The accrued income within other receivables also comprises insurance claims

related to events that are covered by insurance contracts. The Group recognises the income in the financial

statements only from those insurance claims which, based on management’s judgment, are virtually

certain to be received by the Group.

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 100

ACCOUNTS AND OTHER INFORMATION

NOTES FORMING PART OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

CONTINUED

2. Accounting policies

continued

Financial assets and liabilities continued

Impairment policy of trade and other receivables

Management reviewed the Group’s different customer payment channels and the receivables from these

channels. The most significant business case is ticket sales and the various forms of payment for tickets. The

vast majority of tickets are paid either by bank cards or with bank transfer, in any case prior to flight. Based

on their nature, in practice there is no impairment required for these. The other, less significant business cases

involving credit risk are commissions receivable from non-ticket revenue partners and marketing support

receivable from airports and other parties. Management reviewed the historic payment and impairment

statistics for the transactions in these channels and considered the future plans of the Group and concluded

that the impairment of receivables in these channels does not have a material impact on the financial

statements of the Group.

Cash and cash equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents comprise cash balances and call deposits repayable on demand or which mature

within three months of inception. Cash held in money market funds is also included in cash and cash

equivalents. Cash and cash equivalents do not include restricted cash. Cash and cash equivalents are netted

only when right of offset has been obtained.

Restricted cash

Restricted cash represents cash deposits held by the banks that cover letters of credit, issued by the same

bank, to certain suppliers. Restricted cash is split between non-current and current assets depending on the

maturity period of the underlying letters of credit.

Trade and other payables

Trade and other payables are initially recognised when the Group becomes party to the contractual provisions

of the instrument and subsequently stated at amortised cost using the effective interest rate method. Trade

and other payables comprise balances payable to suppliers, authorities and employees.

Interest-bearing borrowings

Interest-bearing borrowings are recognised initially at fair value less directly attributable transaction costs.

Subsequent to initial recognition, interest-bearing borrowings are stated at amortised cost with any difference

between cost and redemption value being recognised in the statement of comprehensive income as a financial

expense over the period of the borrowings on an effective interest rate basis. Financial expenses also include

withholding tax paid on the interest if according to the loan agreement the payment of withholding tax is the

liability of the Group.

Convertible debt

Convertible debt instruments that can be converted to share capital at the option of the holder, where the

number of shares issued does not vary with changes in their fair value, are accounted for as compound

instruments. Transaction costs that relate to the issue of a compound instrument are allocated to the liability

and equity components in proportion to the allocation of proceeds. The liability component is recognised

initially at the fair value of a similar liability that does not have an equity conversion option. The equity

component of the compound instrument is calculated as the excess of the issue proceeds over the value of

the liability component.

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 101

ACCOUNTS AND OTHER INFORMATION

NOTES FORMING PART OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

CONTINUED

2. Accounting policies

continued

Financial assets and liabilities continued

Classification of compound instruments issued by the Group

Compound instruments issued by the Group are treated as equity (i.e. forming part of Shareholders’ funds)

only to the extent that they meet the following two conditions:

a) they include no contractual obligations upon the Company (or Group as the case may be) to deliver cash

or other financial assets or to exchange financial assets or financial liabilities with another party under

conditions that are potentially unfavourable to the Company (or Group); and

b) where the instrument will or may be settled in the Company’s own equity instruments, it is either a

non-derivative that includes no obligation to deliver a variable number of the Company’s own equity

instruments or it is a derivative that will be settled by the Company exchanging a fixed amount of cash or

other financial assets for a fixed number of its own equity instruments.

To the extent that this definition is not met the proceeds of issue are classified as a financial liability measured

at amortised cost. Where the instrument so classified takes the legal form of the Company’s own shares, the

amounts presented in these financial statements for called up share capital and share premium account

exclude amounts in relation to those shares.

Where a compound instrument that contains both equity and financial liability components exists these

components are separated by recognising the liability at fair value and accounted for individually under the

above policy. The finance cost on the financial liability component is correspondingly higher over the life of

the instrument.

Finance payments associated with financial liabilities are dealt with as part of finance expenses. Finance

payments associated with compound instruments that are classified in equity are dividends and are recorded

directly in equity.

Impairment of financial assets

A loss allowance is recognised on financial assets carried at amortised cost or fair value through other

comprehensive income for expected credit losses.

At each reporting date the Group measure the loss allowance for financial assets at an amount equal to the

lifetime expected credit losses if the credit risk on a financial asset has increased significantly since initial

recognition.

If at the reporting date the credit risk on a financial asset has not increased significantly since initial recognition,

the Group measure the loss allowance for that asset at an amount equal to 12-month expected credit losses.

If the Group has measured the loss allowance for a financial instrument at an amount equal to lifetime expected

credit losses in the previous reporting period, but determines at the current reporting date that the credit risk

on a financial asset has not increased significantly since initial recognition, the Group measure the loss

allowance at an amount equal to 12-month expected credit losses at the current reporting date.

The Group recognise in profit or loss, as an impairment gain or loss, the amount of expected credit losses (or

reversal) that is required to adjust the loss allowance at the reporting date to the amount that is required to

be recognised in accordance with IFRS 9.

Current trade and other receivables are discounted where the effect is material.

Non-financial assets and liabilities

Property, plant and equipment

Property, plant and equipment is stated at cost less accumulated depreciation and impairment losses.

Where parts of an item of property, plant and equipment have different useful lives, they are accounted for as

separate items of property, plant and equipment.

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 102

ACCOUNTS AND OTHER INFORMATION

NOTES FORMING PART OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

CONTINUED

2. Accounting policies

continued

Non-financial assets and liabilities continued

Property, plant and equipment

continued

Depreciation is charged to the statement of comprehensive income on a straight-line basis to write off cost to

residual value over the estimated

useful economic lives of each part of an item of property, plant and

equipment. In the case of certain aircraft maintenance assets, the useful economic life of the asset can be

defined in terms of flight hours or flight cycles, and in this case the depreciation charge is determined based

on the actual number of flight hours or flight cycles. The estimated useful lives of the relevant asset categories

are as follows:

Land and buildings (or investments made

on these)

three to five years, being the shorter of useful economic life

and the lease term

Aircraft maintenance assets (for leased

aircraft or spare engine)

one to ten years, or 2,000-10,000 flight cycles in case of aircraft

engines, being the shorter of useful economic life and the lease

term

Aircraft parts seven years

Fixtures and fittings three years

The residual values and useful lives are re-assessed annually.

Assets received free of charge

In certain cases the Group receives assets free of charge. These are treated as non-cash items in the statement

of cash flows.

Component accounting

For spare engines purchased, on acquisition, an element of the cost of the engine is attributed to its service

potential, reflecting its maintenance condition, and is depreciated over the period until the engine’s next major

overhaul. The residual cost, representing the part of the engine’s value that is independent from its service

condition, is depreciated until the end of the engine’s estimated useful economic life (currently 20 years).

Advances paid for aircraft – pre-delivery payments (PDP)

Pre-delivery payments (PDP) are paid by the Group to aircraft and engine manufacturers for financing the

production of the ordered aircraft or spare engine as determined by the contractual terms. Such advance

payments for aircraft or spare engines are recognised at cost and classified as property, plant and equipment

in the statement of financial position. The amount is not depreciated.

The Group may enter into sale and leaseback arrangements with lessors to finance future aircraft or spare

engine deliveries. These arrangements are structured such that the right and the commitment to purchase the

aircraft or spare engine are assigned to the lessor only on the date of delivery (a “delivery date assignment”);

as such, the recognition and classification of the PDP balance does not change when the sale and leaseback

contracts are signed. On the delivery of the aircraft or spare engine the lessor pays the full purchase price of

the asset to the manufacturer and the Group receives from the manufacturer a refund of the PDPs paid. At

this moment the fixed asset is de-recognised from the statement of financial position and any gain or loss

arising is transferred to the statement of comprehensive income as an operating income or expense.

Advances paid for aircraft maintenance assets – engine fleet hour agreements (FHA)

Advances paid for aircraft maintenance assets represent advance payments made in relation to heavy

maintenance scheduled to be performed in the future (for the definition of heavy maintenance see the

accounting policy section on maintenance). Such advance payments are made by the Group particularly to the

engine maintenance service provider under fleet hour agreements (FHA). Such advance payments are

recognised at cost and classified as property, plant and equipment in the statement of financial position. The

amount is not depreciated.

The balance of such assets is re-categorised into aircraft maintenance assets within property, plant and

equipment at the time when the aircraft maintenance asset is recognised in respect of the same component

and the same heavy maintenance event. This is when the component no longer meets the conditions set out

in the lease agreement. Advances paid for aircraft maintenance are not depreciated.

In the statement of cash flows the FHA payments are shown under the purchase of maintenance assets line

together with other aircraft maintenance asset purchases.

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 103

ACCOUNTS AND OTHER INFORMATION

NOTES FORMING PART OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

CONTINUED

2. Accounting policies

continued

Non-financial assets and liabilities continued

Intangible assets

Intangible assets that are acquired by the Group are stated at cost less accumulated amortisation and

impairment losses.

Web development costs are capitalised to the extent they are expected to generate future economic benefits

and meet the other criteria described in IAS 38, Intangible Assets.

Subsequent expenditure on capitalised intangible assets is capitalised only when it increases the future

economic benefits embodied in the specific asset to which it relates. All other expenditure is expensed

as incurred.

Amortisation is charged to the statement of comprehensive income on a straight-line basis over the estimated

useful economic lives of intangible assets, except where the asset is expected to have indefinite useful

economic life. Intangible assets are amortised from the date they are available for use. The estimated useful

lives are as follows:

Software licences three to eight years

Web and other software development costs three to five years

Airport landing rights indefinite

Inventories

Inventories (mainly spares) are purchased for internal use and are stated at cost unless impaired or at net

realisable value if any items are to be sold or scrapped. Net realisable value is the estimated selling price in the

ordinary course of the business less the estimated selling expense. Cost is based on the average price method

and includes expenditure incurred in acquiring the inventories and bringing them to their existing location and

condition.

Emissions Trading Scheme

As of 2012 the scope of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme 2008/101/EC (EU ETS) covers airlines. The Group

is required to formally report its annual actual emissions to the relevant authorities and surrender emission

allowances (EUAs) equivalent to the emissions made during the year. Surrendered allowances are a

combination of the free allowances granted by the authorities and allowances purchased by the Group from

other parties. The Group follows the “cost method” of booking the allowances: the free allowances have nil-

cost value so therefore are not recognised as an asset; and allowances purchased in the market are recorded

at the purchase price in inventory. The Group is given free allowances by the competent authorities, and the

net economic impact to the Group is therefore represented by the shortfall between the actual carbon emitted

and the free allowances given to the Group for that period. The shortfall is recorded at purchase prices as a cost.

The amount of the shortfall is determined in line with the Group’s plans with respect to the utilisation of free

allowances. In this respect there was a change in the Group’s practice during the 2019 financial year: in the

submission for calendar year 2017 the Group utilised only the free allowances received for that year, while in the

submission for calendar year 2018 it utilised the free allowances received for both 2018 and 2019 (as the latter

were also received before the submission for 2018).

The application of this accounting treatment means that the statement of comprehensive income and the

statement of financial position reflect the net economic impact and are not grossed up to reflect the

full obligation for the allowances that the Group will have to surrender.

The Group applies the “own usage” exemption under IFRS 9 meaning that ETS forward contracts are not

considered to be financial derivatives for accounting purposes. As a result, the fair value of open ETS forward

contracts at year end is not recorded in the Consolidated Statement of Financial Position.

Deferred interest

The Group enters into sale and leaseback agreements to finance future aircraft or spare engine deliveries. In

some cases in the past it also entered into arrangements to finance the PDPs of such deliveries. Interest

accrued on loans to finance the PDPs on aircraft or spare engines was initially recognised under property plant

and equipment (advances paid for aircraft). When the leased aircraft or spare engine was delivered, the PDP

interest balance was reclassified within the statement of financial position from property, plant and equipment

into deferred interest. The interest is then amortised to the statement of comprehensive income during the

term of the respective lease contract.

The Group recognises in the deferred interest line also the effect of the discounting adjustment of

non-current receivables.

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 104

ACCOUNTS AND OTHER INFORMATION

NOTES FORMING PART OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

CONTINUED

2. Accounting policies

continued

Non-financial assets and liabilities continued

Impairment of non-financial assets

The carrying amounts of the Group’s assets are reviewed at each statement of financial position date to

determine whether there is any indication of impairment. If any such indication exists, the asset’s recoverable

amount is estimated. The recoverable amount is the higher of an asset’s fair value less costs to dispose and

value in use. An impairment loss is recognised whenever the carrying amount of an asset or cash-generating

unit exceeds its recoverable amount. Impairment losses are recognised in the statement of comprehensive

income.

Employee benefits

Share-based payment transactions

The Group operates an equity-settled share option programme that allows Group employees to acquire shares

in the Company. The options are granted by the Company. The fair value of options granted is recognised as

an employee expense with a corresponding increase in equity. The fair value is measured at grant date and

spread over the period during which the employees become unconditionally entitled to the options. The fair

value of the options granted is measured using an option valuation model, taking into account the terms and

conditions upon which the options were granted. The amount recognised as an expense is adjusted at any

measurement date so that the cumulative expense to date reflects the actual number of share options that are

expected to vest (except where the number of shares to vest depends on the share price performance of the

Company, which is a market condition under IFRS 2 and is therefore not updated).

Provisions

A provision is recognised in the statement of financial position when the Group has a present legal or

constructive obligation as a result of a past event, and it is probable that an outflow of economic benefit will

be required to settle the obligation.

If the effect is material, provisions

are determined by discounting the expected future cash flows at a pre-tax

rate that reflects current market assessments of the time value of money and, where appropriate, the risks

specific to the liability (please see further details of aircraft maintenance provisions in the accounting policy

section on maintenance).

Revenue

Revenues are disaggregated differently under IAS 18 and IFRS 15.

Revenue under IAS 18 comprises passenger ticket revenues (being the invoiced value of flight seats) and

ancillary revenues.

Passenger ticket revenue arises from the sale of flight seats and is recognised net of government taxes in the

period in which the service is provided, that being when the airplane has departed. Where charges levied by

airports or government authorities on a per passenger basis represent a government tax in fact or in substance,

then such amounts are presented on a net basis in the statement of comprehensive income (netted between

revenue and airport, handling and en-route charges lines). Unearned revenue represents flight seats sold but not

yet flown and is included in deferred income. Refunds made to passengers are recorded as reductions in revenue.

Ancillary revenue arises from the sale of other services made by the Group and from commissions earned in

relation to services sold on behalf of other parties. Revenues from other services comprise mainly baggage

charges, booking/payment handling fees, airport check-in fees, fees for various convenience services (priority

boarding, extended legroom and reserved seats) and loyalty programme membership fees. Commission

revenue arises in relation to the sale of on-board catering, accommodation, car rental, travel insurance, bus

transfers, premium calls and co-branded credit cards. Ancillary revenues are recognised as revenue when

performance obligations have been satisfied (i.e. all the benefits associated with the performance obligation

have been transferred to the customer). This, depending on the type of service, might be either the date of

sale, the date of flight or (in the case of membership fees) over the period when customers take benefit of a

paid membership.

The disaggregation of revenues into passenger ticket revenues and ancillary revenues, as applied in the

statement of comprehensive income, is a non-GAAP measure (or Alternative Performance Measure). The

Group did not change the disaggregation of revenue, as applied under IAS 18, to that defined under IFRS 15.

The existing presentation is considered relevant for the users of the financial statements because (i) it mirrors

disclosures presented outside of the financial statements and (ii) it is regularly reviewed by the Chief Operating

Decision Maker for evaluating financial performance.

Revenues under IFRS 15 are disaggregated into revenues from contracts with passengers and with other

business partners, respectively. These two categories represent revenues that are distinct from a nature, timing

and risks point of view. This split, as required under IFRS 15, is presented in Note 7.

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 105

ACCOUNTS AND OTHER INFORMATION

NOTES FORMING PART OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

CONTINUED

2. Accounting policies

continued

Revenue continued

Accounting for membership fees

The Group operates the Wizz Discount Club (“WDC”) loyalty program for its customers. Under this program

customers can pay an annual membership fee, with the key benefit that during most of the twelve-month

membership period they get access to special fares that are lower than the standard ticket prices.

The Group recognises the revenue from the membership fees following the pattern of customers taking

benefits from the program. This pattern is determined by management once a year, on the basis of the actual

distribution of member flights in the preceding twelve months, and then applied prospectively as an estimate

for the future. It is unlikely that there would be a material change in the pattern within one year, because the

underlying fact patterns (for customers to buy membership, to buy tickets and then to fly those tickets) are

reasonably stable.

Leases

Finance leases

If the risks and rewards incidental to ownership of an asset are substantially transferred to Wizz Air then it is

accounted for as a finance lease. The following five criteria can indicate such situation:

 there is transfer of ownership of the asset at the end of lease term;

 there is an option to purchase the asset at sufficiently below fair value; therefore, it is reasonably certain

that the option will be exercised;

 the lessee holds the assets for the major part of the assets' economic life;

 the asset is so special that it can be used only by the lessee; and

 the present value of minimum lease payments is substantially all of the fair value of the asset.

Management uses the above criteria as guidelines for its analyses; however, the substance of a transaction is

always considered during the assessment.

Management assesses each leasing contract individually at initial recognition based on the above

discussed criteria.

Finance leases are capitalised at the lease’s commencement at the lower of the fair value of the leased asset

and the present value of the minimum lease payments.

Operating leases

Leases in which a significant portion of the risks and rewards of ownership are retained by the lessor are

classified as operating leases. Payments made under operating leases are recognised in the statement of

comprehensive income on a straight-line basis over the term of the lease. Lease incentives received are

recognised in the statement of comprehensive income as an integral part of the total lease expense.

Sale and leaseback transactions

The Group enters into transactions whereby it assigns to a third party the right to acquire new aircraft or spare

engines. On delivery of the aircraft or spare engine, the Group will lease the aircraft or spare engine back

through an operating lease from the same party. Any gain arising on disposal, to the extent the price that the

aircraft or spare engine is sold for is above fair value, is recognised initially in deferred income and then

amortised on a straight-line basis over the lease term of the asset. Any other gain, as long as there is sufficient

comfort on the reliability of the fair value, is recognised immediately in the statement of comprehensive income

under net other expenses.

Maintenance

Aircraft maintenance provisions

For aircraft held under operating lease agreements, the Group is contractually committed to either return the

aircraft in a certain condition or to compensate the lessor based on the actual condition of the aircraft and its

major components upon return. Provision is made for the minimum unavoidable costs of specific future

obligations created by the lease at the time when such obligation becomes certain. This is when the respective

aircraft component no longer meets the lease re-delivery conditions. The provision is used through the

completion of a maintenance event such that the component again meets the re-delivery conditions.

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 106

ACCOUNTS AND OTHER INFORMATION

NOTES FORMING PART OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

CONTINUED

2. Accounting policies

continued

Maintenance continued

Aircraft maintenance assets

Heavy maintenance relates to the overhaul of engines and associated components, the replacement of life

limited parts, the replacement of landing gears and the non-routine airframe inspection and rectification works.

Under normal operating conditions heavy maintenance relates to work expected to be performed no more

frequently than every two to four years.

The cost of heavy maintenance is capitalised and recognised as a tangible fixed asset (and classified as “aircraft

maintenance assets”) at the earlier of: (a) the time the lease re-delivery condition is no longer met (see above

under aircraft maintenance provisions); or (b) when maintenance, including enhancement, is carried out. Other

maintenance costs are expensed as incurred.

Such maintenance assets are depreciated over the period the Group benefits from the asset which is the

shorter of: (a) the estimated period until the next date when the lease re-delivery condition is no longer met;

or (b) the end of the asset’s operational life; or (c) the end of the lease.

For engines and associated components, depreciation is charged on the basis of flight hours or cycles, while

for other aircraft maintenance assets depreciation is charged evenly over the period the Group expects to

derive benefit from the asset.

Components of newly leased aircraft such as life limited parts and engines are not accounted for as separate

assets, and the inherent benefit of these assets which are utilised in the period from inception of the lease until

the time the assets no longer meet the lease re-delivery condition is reflected in the payments made to the

lessor over the life of the lease.

Aircraft maintenance assets are non-monetary items. Non-Euro amounts are translated on inception to Euro

and are not retranslated.

The recognition of aircraft maintenance assets against provisions for other liabilities and charges in the

statement of financial position is a transaction not involving cash flows. In the statement of cash flows the

spending on these assets is presented as “purchase of aircraft maintenance assets” in the period when cash

actually flows out of the Group. This can happen either before or after the recognition of the asset, depending

on the exact facts and circumstances associated with the relevant asset or assets.

Please refer also to the property, plant and equipment section of accounting policies.

Other receivables from lessors – maintenance reserve

Payments for aircraft and engine maintenance, as stipulated in the respective operating lease agreements, are

made to the lessors as a security for the performance of future heavy maintenance works. The payments are

recorded as receivables from the lessors until the respective maintenance event occurs and the reimbursement

with the lessor is finalised. Any payment that is not expected to be reimbursed by the lessor is recognised

within operating expenses (aircraft rentals) in the statement of comprehensive income.

Other

The Group enters into agreements with maintenance service providers that guarantee the maintenance of

major components at a rate defined in the contract, the prime example being fleet hour agreements (FHAs)

for aircraft engines. Such FHAs cover the cost of both scheduled and unscheduled engine overhauls. FHA

payments are accounted for as follows:

 Payments for scheduled maintenance work are recognised as advances paid for aircraft maintenance

assets until the maintenance asset for the respective engine overhaul is created. After this point any further

FHA payments are either used to settle previously established aircraft maintenance provisions (to the

extent a provision for the respective FHA contract exists) or, in the absence of a provision, are added to

the amount previously capitalised within property, plant and equipment as advances paid for aircraft

maintenance assets.

 Payments that are made to provide guaranteed coverage for the performance of unscheduled

maintenance events are considered as insurance payments and are expensed as incurred.

Please refer to the property, plant and equipment section of accounting policies.

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 107

ACCOUNTS AND OTHER INFORMATION

NOTES FORMING PART OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

CONTINUED

2. Accounting policies

continued

Supplier credits

The Group receives certain assets (cash contributions or aircraft spares) for nil consideration in connection

with its acquisition of aircraft and of major aircraft parts.

Cash contributions or aircraft spares received are recognised as an asset in the statement of financial position.

The corresponding credits are recognised as income, typically deferred and spread equally across the shorter

of useful economic life and the lease term of the respective aircraft.

In certain cases the concessions receivable from a component manufacturer are linked to the Group’s

commitment to purchase a number of new aircraft with the manufacturer’s components installed on those. In

such case, in substance, the right to the concessions is earned by the Group through the delivery of the

respective aircraft. In certain cases the concessions might be delivered by the component manufacturer later

than the date when the respective aircraft is taken by the Group. If so, then the right earned for the concession

is recognised at the date of the aircraft delivery as part of trade and other receivables, with a corresponding

credit to deferred income. Following this, the credits are amortised on a straight-line basis over the lease term

of the respective asset, decreasing aircraft rental expenses.

Net financing costs

Net financing costs comprise interest payable, finance charges on finance leases, interest receivable on funds

invested and foreign exchange gains and losses that are recognised in the statement of comprehensive

income.

Interest income and interest payable are recognised in the statement of comprehensive income using the

effective interest method.

Non-cash elements of financial income and expenses are eliminated from the statement of cash flows as an

adjusting item whereas cash elements, e.g. realised foreign exchange gains and losses, are included in the

statement of cash flows.

Share capital

Ordinary Shares are classified as equity. Qualifying transaction costs directly attributable to the issuing of new

shares are debited to equity, reducing the share premium arising on the issue of shares.

Taxation

Taxation on the profit or loss for the year comprises current and deferred tax. Income tax is recognised in the

statement of comprehensive income except to the extent that it relates to items recognised directly in equity,

in which case it is recognised in equity.

Current tax is the expected tax payable on the taxable income for the year, using tax rates enacted at the

statement of financial position date, and any adjustment to tax payable in respect of previous years.

Deferred tax is provided on temporary

differences between the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities for

financial reporting purposes and the amounts used for taxation purposes. The following temporary differences

are not provided for: the initial recognition of goodwill; the initial recognition of assets or liabilities that affect

neither accounting nor taxable profit other than in a business combination; and differences relating to

investments in subsidiaries to the extent that they will probably not reverse in the foreseeable future. The

amount of deferred tax provided is based on the expected manner of realisation or settlement of the carrying

amount of assets and liabilities, using tax rates enacted or substantively enacted at the statement of financial

position date.

A deferred tax asset is recognised to the extent that it is probable that sufficient future taxable profits will be

available against which the asset can be utilised.

Segment reporting

Operating and reportable segments

The Group is managed as a single business unit that provides low-cost, low-fare passenger air transportation

services using a fleet of single aircraft type. The Group has only one reportable segment being its entire route

network. The online tour operator business of the Group, marketed under the name Wizz Tours, was

discontinued during the year, therefore it is no longer being presented as a separate business segment.

Management information is provided to the senior management team, which (in the context of IFRS 8

‘Operating segments’) is the Group’s Chief Operating Decision Maker (CODM). Resource allocation decisions

are made by the CODM for the benefit of the route network as a whole, rather than for individual routes within

the network. The performance of the network is assessed primarily based on the operating profit or loss for

the period.

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 108

ACCOUNTS AND OTHER INFORMATION

NOTES FORMING PART OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

CONTINUED

3. Financial risk management

Financial risk factors

The Group is exposed to market risks relating to fluctuations in commodity prices, interest rates and currency

exchange rates. The objective of financial risk management at Wizz Air is to minimise the impact of commodity

price, interest rate and foreign exchange rate fluctuations on the Group's earnings, cash flows and equity. To

manage commodity and foreign exchange risks, Wizz Air uses various derivative financial instruments,

including foreign currency and commodity zero-cost collar contracts.

Risk management is carried out by the treasury department under policies approved by the Board of Directors.

The Board provides written principles for overall risk management, as well as written policies covering specific

areas, such as foreign exchange risk, fuel price risk, credit risk, use of derivative financial instruments,

adherence to hedge accounting, and hedge coverage levels. The Board has mandated the Audit Committee

of the Board to supervise the hedging activity of the Group and the compliance with the policies approved by

the Board.

Risk analysis

Market risks

Foreign currency risk

The Group is exposed to foreign currency risk on sales, purchases and commitments that are denominated in

a currency other than the Euro. The foreign currency exposure of the Group is significant for two reasons: (i)

only a small portion of the Group’s revenues are denominated in or linked to the US Dollar while a significant

portion of the Group’s expenses are US Dollar denominated, including fuel, aircraft leases, maintenance

reserves and aviation insurance; and (ii) there are various currencies in which the Group has significantly more

revenues than expenses, primarily the British Pound (GBP) and – to a smaller extent – the Polish Zloty (PLN).

The Group chooses the Euro/US Dollar foreign currency rate as the major underlying foreign currency pair in

its foreign currency rate hedging strategies. The main objective is to cover the Group’s ongoing US Dollar cash

flow requirements. The Group’s maximum hedge coverage level is 85%. of the total anticipated US Dollar

purchases hedged by the time the respective quarter on a monthly rolling forward basis is reached. This level

was not always reached during the current or prior years.

Looking forward, a new type of foreign currency exposure is created for the Group by the adoption of IFRS 16

(See also Note 3). The lease liability recognised under IFRS 16 is a monetary liability and most of the future

lease payments of the Group behind this liability are denominated in US Dollar. The periodic revaluation of this

liability against the Euro, if not managed, could result in very significant foreign exchange gains and losses,

and hence in significant volatility to earnings. The Group, starting from 1 April 2019 is mitigating these

exposures through the implementation of the following risk measures: (i) conversion of Euro bank deposits

into US Dollar deposits, thus creating a US Dollar monetary asset offsetting part of the lease liability; and (ii)

the entry into Euro/US Dollar FX forwards to cover the residual risk. The amount of such new deposits was

US$1,235 million and the notional amount of the FX instruments was US$676 million at the beginning of April

2019, altogether creating the required coverage of US$ 1,911 million. The balance of the forward contracts will

be actively managed in the future on a roll-forward basis to cover the estimated future net US Dollar liability.

The Hedging Policy defines also the hedging of the GBP/Euro foreign currency rate net exposure in order to

mitigate FX risk on the Group’s second largest revenue currency. The Group’s maximum target coverage on

this currency pair is 60% on a rolling twelve-month basis, and at year-end had coverage only for the April-

June 2019 quarter.

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 109

ACCOUNTS AND OTHER INFORMATION

NOTES FORMING PART OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

CONTINUED

3. Financial risk management

continued

Risk analysis continued

Market risks

continued

Foreign currency risk continued

The table below analyses the financial instruments by the currencies of future receipts and payments as

follows:

EUR

USD

Other

Total

At 31 March 2019

€ million

Financial assets

Trade and other receivables 74.1

116.8

37.9

225.8

Derivative financial assets -

31.5

Cash 1,228.0

40.0

48.0

1,316.0

Restricted cash 188.8

0.1

188.9

Total financial assets 1,487.9

188.3

86.0

1,762.2

Financial liabilities

Borrowings 2.2

2.2

Convertible debt 26.8

26.8

Trade and other payables 43.4

15.5

20.2

79.1

Derivative financial liabilities -

18.8

Total financial liabilities 72.4

34.3

20.2

126.9

EUR

USD

Other

Total

At 31 March 2018

€ million

Financial assets

Trade and other receivables 59.3

95.1

21.5

176.0

Derivative financial assets -

34.2

Cash 889.4

62.7

27.5

979.6

Restricted cash 161.3

0.7

0.2

162.2

Total financial assets 1,110.0

192.7

49.2

1,352.0

Financial liabilities

Borrowings 5.3

5.3

Convertible debt 26.9

26.9

Trade and other payables 32.7

13.4

14.0

60.1

Derivative financial liabilities -

13.7

Total financial liabilities 64.9

27.1

14.0

106.0

As explained earlier in this Note, most of the Group’s non US Dollar cash deposits were converted into US

Dollar deposits by early April 2019. €1,102 million was converted into US$1,235 million. Thus, going forward, the

distribution of the financial assets of the Group by currency looks substantially different from how it is shown

in the table above.

Trade and other receivables in this table, and also in the other disclosures in this Note 3, exclude balances that

are not financial instruments, being prepayments, deferred expenses, accrued income, and part of other

receivables (see Note 19). Similarly, trade and other payables in this table, and also in the other disclosures in

this Note 3, exclude balances that are not financial instruments, being accruals and other payables (see Note

25). These exclusions were not made in the 2018 annual report and therefore the 2018 balances in Note 3 were

now re-stated, where applicable.

Interest rate risk

The Group has future commitments under certain operating lease contracts that are based on floating interest

rates. The floating nature of the interest charges on the operating leases exposes the Group to interest rate

risk. Interest rates charged on convertible debt liabilities and on short and long-term loans to finance the

deposits of aircraft are not sensitive to interest rate movements as they are fixed until maturity. See Notes 23

and 24.

The Group is also exposed to interest rate risk in relation to the valuation of financial instruments as they are

carried at fair value.

The Group has not used financial derivatives to hedge its interest rate risk during the year. The Directors may

in the future consider hedging interest rate risk to reduce earnings volatility arising from fluctuations in interest

rates.

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 110

ACCOUNTS AND OTHER INFORMATION

NOTES FORMING PART OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

CONTINUED

3. Financial risk management

continued

Risk analysis continued

Market risks

continued

Commodity risks

One of the most significant costs for the Group is jet fuel. The price of jet fuel can be volatile and can directly

impact the Group’s financial performance. The Group’s maximum hedge coverage is 70% on a rolling twelve-

month basis and 60% on a rolling 18-month basis. The average hedge coverage in F19 was 58% and 45%,

respectively.

Hedge transactions during the periods

The Group uses non-derivatives, zero-cost collar instruments and outright forward contracts to hedge its

foreign exchange exposures, and uses zero-cost collar instruments to hedge its jet fuel exposures. The time

horizon of the hedging programme with derivatives is usually up to a maximum of 18 months; however, this

horizon can be exceeded at the Board’s discretion.

The volume of hedge transactions that expired during the periods was as follows:

a) Foreign exchange hedge (USD versus EUR):

US$762 million (2018: US$517 million).

b) Foreign exchange hedge (GBP versus EUR):

£44.8 million (2018: £48.0 million).

c) Fuel hedge:

821,000 metric tons (2018: 703,000 metric tons).

The gains and losses arising from the expired hedge transaction during the year were as follows:

a) Foreign exchange hedge (USD versus EUR):

€18.8 million gain (2018: €10.7 million loss). Out of this, €10.1 million gain related to fuel cost

(2018: €7.4 million loss) and €8.7 million gain related to lease rental cost (2018: €3.3 million loss).

b) Foreign exchange hedge (GBP versus EUR):

€0.2 million loss (2018: €1.9 million gain). GBP foreign exchange hedge affects revenue.

c) Fuel hedge:

€43.5 million gain (2018: €24.4 million gain).

Hedge year-end open positions

At the end of the year and the prior year the Group had the following open hedge positions:

a) Foreign exchange hedge with derivatives:

The fair value of the open positions was a €18.0 million gain (2018: €12.8 million loss) recognised within

other comprehensive income, corresponding to assets of €19.7 million (2018: €0.8 million in 2018) and

liabilities of €1.7 million (2018: €13.7 million), respectively. The €18.0 million gain can be analysed further (i)

into €23.7 million intrinsic value gain and €5.7 million time value loss components, or (ii) as €19.0 million

gain incurred on zero-cost collar instruments and €1.0 million loss on outright forward contracts.

The notional amount of the open positions was US$463.0 million on EUR/USD zero-cost collar instruments

(2018: US$726.0 million), US$676.0 million on EUR/USD forward contracts (2018: nil) and £24.1 million on

GBP/EUR zero-cost collar instruments at the end of the current year (2018: nil).

The FX hedge positions at year-end can be analysed according to the maturity periods and price ranges

of the underlying hedge instruments as follows:

Euro/US Dollar foreign exchange hedge:

F20

F21

At 31 March 2019

12 months 6 months

Maturity profile of notional amount (million) $444 $19

Weighted average ceiling $1.24 $1.21

Weighted average floor $1.19 $1.16

F19

F20

At 31 March 2018

12 months 6 months

Maturity profile of notional amount (million) $599 $127

Weighted average ceiling $1.23 $1.29

Weighted average floor $1.18 $1.24

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 111

ACCOUNTS AND OTHER INFORMATION

NOTES FORMING PART OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

CONTINUED

3. Financial risk management

continued

Risk analysis continued

Market risks

continued

Hedge year-end open positions continued

Euro/British Pound foreign exchange hedge:

F20

F21

At 31 March 2019

3 months

Maturity profile of notional amount (million) £24 -

Weighted average ceiling £0.92 -

Weighted average floor £0.88 -

There were no open positions on GBP hedges at 31 March 2018.

b) Foreign exchange hedge with non-derivatives:

Non-derivatives are existing financial assets that hedge highly probable foreign currency cash flows in the

future and therefore act as a natural hedge. At the end of the year out of its non-derivative financial assets

position the Group had US$6.7 million designated for hedge accounting (2018: US$13.5 million). This

amount is part of trade and other receivables on the consolidated statement of financial position.

c) Fuel hedge:

The fair value of the open positions was a €5.3 million loss (2018: €33.3 million gain) recognised within

other comprehensive income corresponding to assets (€11.8 million in 2019 and €33.3 million in 2018) and

liabilities (€17.1 million in 2019 and nil in 2018), respectively. The €5.3 million loss can be analysed further

into €13.4 million intrinsic value loss and €8.1 million time value gain components.

The notional amount of the open positions was 712,000 metric tons (2018: 626,000 metric tons).

The fuel hedge positions at year-end can be analysed according to the maturity periods and price ranges

of the underlying hedge instruments as follows:

F20

F21

At 31 March 2019

12 months 6 months

Maturity profile (‘000 metric tons) 624 88

Blended capped rate $700 $670

Blended floor rate $639 $613

F19

F20

At 31 March 2018

12 months 6 months

Maturity profile (‘000 metric tons) 517 109

Blended capped rate $593 $636

Blended floor rate $533 $580

During the year, until 28 March 2019, the Group had only cash flow hedges. Additionally, on 29 March 2019

(being the last banking day of the financial year) the Group also entered into FX forward contracts in

preparation for the adoption of IFRS 16 on 1 April 2019. These forward contracts were not in hedge relationship

on 31 March 2019.

The amounts removed from equity during the year were all recycled to the statement of

comprehensive income.

During the year the Group realised €6.2 million loss in other comprehensive income in relation to change in

the fair value of cash flow hedge open positions. The change in 2018 was €10.0 million gain coming from

movements in intrinsic value, and additionally as of 1 April 2017 €6.1 million time value gain was reclassified

from retained earnings to the hedge reserve as a result of adoption of IFRS 9.

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 112

ACCOUNTS AND OTHER INFORMATION

NOTES FORMING PART OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

CONTINUED

3. Financial risk management

continued

Risk analysis continued

Market risks

continued

Hedge effectiveness

During the year covered by these financial statements, based on the evaluation of the Group, the hedging

transactions did not give rise to material ineffectiveness under IFRS 9. As explained below in the credit risk

section, in the opinion of the management none of the hedge counterparties had a material change in their

credit status that would have influenced the effectiveness of the hedging transactions.

Sensitivity analysis

The table below shows the sensitivity of the Group’s profits to various markets risks for the current and the

prior year, excluding any hedge impacts. The interest rate and FX rate sensitivities for 2018 have been restated.

2019

2018

Difference in

profit after tax

(in € million)

Difference in

profit after tax

(in € million)

Fuel price sensitivity

Fuel price $100 higher per metric ton

Fuel price $100 lower per metric ton

-90.0

+90.0

-77.0

+77.0

FX rate sensitivity (USD/EUR)

FX rate 0.05 higher (meaning EUR stronger)

FX rate 0.05 lower

+38.1

-41.6

+29.0

-31.5

FX rate sensitivity (GBP/EUR)

FX rate 0.03 higher (meaning EUR stronger)

FX rate 0.03 lower

-9.6

+10.3

-9.7

+10.4

FX rate sensitivity (PLN/EUR)

FX rate 0.15 higher (meaning EUR stronger)

FX rate 0.15 lower

-5.9

+6.3

-4.9

+5.3

Interest rate sensitivity (EUR)

Interest rate is higher by 100 bps

Interest rate is lower by 100 bps

+10.0

-10.0

+8.1

-8.1

The interest rate sensitivity calculation considers the effects of varying interest rates on the interest income

on bank deposits and on the expense from floating lease rentals.

The impact of these macro-economic variables on equity is the same as the impact on profit after tax, except

for the fuel price and for the USD/EUR FX rate variables where the equity impact would also include the

change in the fair value of the derivative financial instruments that are open at the year end. The fair value of

these instruments was provided by the hedge counterparties and management has not calculated the

theoretical value of these instruments for other scenarios.

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 113

ACCOUNTS AND OTHER INFORMATION

NOTES FORMING PART OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

CONTINUED

3. Financial risk management

continued

Risk analysis continued

Liquidity risks

Prudent liquidity risk management implies maintaining sufficient cash and the availability of funding. The Group

has an adequate liquidity position. The Group invested excess cash primarily in EUR and USD denominated

short-term time deposits with high quality bank counterparties.

The table below analyses the Group’s financial assets and liabilities (receivable or payable either on cash base

or net-settled derivative financial assets and liabilities) into relevant maturity groupings based on the

remaining period at the statement of financial position date to the contractual maturity date.

The amounts disclosed in the table below are the contractual undiscounted cash flows except for derivatives

where fair values are presented. Therefore, for certain asset and liability categories the amounts presented in

this table can be different from the respective amounts presented in the statement of financial position.

Financial liabilities

Borrowings 0.1

0.2

1.2

1.9

3.4

Convertible debt -

2.1

30.9

33.0

Trade and other payables 79.1

79.1

Derivative financial liabilities 3.3

14.0

1.5

18.8

Financial guarantees 1,057.0

1,057.0

Total financial liabilities 1,139.5

16.3

33.6

1.9

1,191.3

Financial liabilities

Borrowings 0.3

0.8

4.0

2.2

7.3

Convertible debt -

2.1

33.0

35.1

Trade and other payables 60.1

60.1

Derivative financial liabilities 2.0

10.8

0.9

13.7

Financial guarantees 1,004.3

1,004.3

Total financial liabilities 1,066.7

13.7

37.9

2.2

1,120.5

The Group has obligations under financial guarantee contracts as detailed in Note 31.

The Company provided guarantees to third parties to guarantee the performance of its airline subsidiary in

relation to aircraft lease contracts on a regular basis, and from 2017 also in relation to a contract for the

provision of public services in Hungary. These possible obligations are disclosed in the table above, with the

shortest maturity under the financial guarantees line. Management does not expect that any payment under

these guarantee contracts will be required by the Company.

Other financial guarantee contracts relate to hedging, and convertible notes. The respective liabilities are

reflected under the appropriate line of the financial liabilities part of the table above. Since the liability itself is

already reflected in the table, it would not be appropriate to include also the financial guarantee provided by

another Group entity for the same obligation.

At 31 March 2019

Within three

months

€ million

Between three

months

and one year

€ million

Between one and

five years

€ million

More than five

years

€ million

Total

€ million

Financial assets

Trade and other receivables 176.3

34.3

10.0

5.20

225.8

Derivative financial assets 10.9

17.6

3.0

31.5

Cash 1,316.0

1,316.0

Restricted cash 21.0

2.2

117.7

48.0

188.9

Total financial assets 1,524.2

54.1

130.7

53.2

1,762.2

At 31 March 2018

Within three

months

€ million

Between three

months

and one year

€ million

Between one and

five years

€ million

More than five

years

€ million

Total

€ million

Financial assets

Trade and other receivables 101.4

29.9

42.1

2.6

176.0

Derivative financial assets 15.0

16.7

2.5

34.2

Cash 979.6

979.6

Restricted cash 0.1

2.6

105.2

54.3

162.2

Total financial assets 1,096.1

49.2

149.8

56.9

1,352.0

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 114

ACCOUNTS AND OTHER INFORMATION

NOTES FORMING PART OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

CONTINUED

3. Financial risk management

continued

Risk analysis continued

Credit risk

The Group’s exposure to credit risk from individual customers is limited as the large majority of the payments

for flight tickets are collected before the service is provided.

However, the Group has significant banking, hedging, aircraft manufacturer and card acquiring relationships

that represent counterparty credit risk. The Group analysed the creditworthiness of the relevant business

partners in order to assess the likelihood of non-performance of liabilities due to the Group. The credit quality

of the Group’s financial assets is assessed by reference to external credit ratings (published by Standard &

Poor’s or similar institutions) of the counterparties as follows:

A-

Other

Unrated

Total

At 31 March 2019

€ million

Financial assets

Trade and other receivables 8.2

217.6

225.8

Derivative financial assets 20.7

10.8

31.5

Cash and cash equivalents 1,313.3

2.4

0.2

1,316.0

Restricted cash 188.7

0.1

188.9

Total financial assets 1,530.9

10.8

2.6

217.9

1,762.2

A-

Other

Unrated

Total

At 31 March 2018 € million

€ million

Financial assets

Trade and other receivables 3.3

2.5

170.2

176.0

Derivative financial assets 20.2

4.3

9.7

34.2

Cash and cash equivalents 926.5

51.7

1.3

979.6

Restricted cash 162.2

162.2

Total financial assets 1,112.0

4.3

63.9

171.5

1,352.0

The “Other” column in 2018 included €52.2 million balance (out of which €50.0 million was bank deposit) with

one of the banking partners of the Group, that had BBB rating.

From the unrated category within trade and other receivables the Group has €100.0 million (2018: €91.4

million) receivables from different aircraft lessors in respect of maintenance reserves and lease security

deposits paid (see also Note 19). However, given that the Group physically possesses the aircraft owned by

the lessors and that the Group has significant future lease payment obligations towards the same lessors (see

Note 32), management does not consider the credit risk on maintenance reserve receivables to be material.

Most of the remaining balance in this category in both years relate to ticket sales receivables from customers,

non-ticket revenue receivables from business partners, prepayments made to vendors and accrued revenues.

These balances are spread between a significant number of counterparties and the credit performance in these

channels has historically been good.

Based on the information above management does not consider the counterparty risk of either party being

material and therefore no fair value adjustment was applied to the respective cash or receivable balances.

Fair value estimation

The Group classifies its financial instruments based on the technique used for determining fair value into the

following categories:

Level 1: Fair value is determined based on quoted prices (unadjusted) in active markets for identical assets

or liabilities.

Level 2: Fair value is determined based on inputs other than quoted prices that are observable for the asset or

liability, either directly or indirectly.

Level 3: Fair value is determined based on inputs that are not based on observable market data (that is, on

unobservable inputs).

The following table presents the Group’s financial assets and liabilities that are measured at fair value at

31 March 2019.

Level 1

Level 2

Level 3

Total

€ million

Assets

Derivative financial instruments -

31.5

Liabilities

Derivative financial instruments -

18.8

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 115

ACCOUNTS AND OTHER INFORMATION

NOTES FORMING PART OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

CONTINUED

3. Financial risk management

continued

Fair value estimation continued

The Group measures its derivative financial instruments at fair value, calculated with a technique by the banks

involved in the hedging transactions that falls into the Level 2 category.

All the other financial assets and financial liabilities are measured at amortised cost.

Capital risk management

The Group’s objectives when managing capital are to safeguard the Group’s ability to continue as a going

concern in order to provide returns for Shareholders, to provide benefits for other stakeholders and to maintain

an optimal capital structure to reduce the cost of capital.

The capital structure of the Group consists of financial liabilities, cash and cash equivalents and equity. Financial

liabilities primarily consist of finance leases and convertible debt as disclosed in Notes 23 and 24, respectively.

Equity comprises issued capital, reserves and retained earnings as disclosed in the statement of changes in

equity. The overall capital risk management strategy of the Group remains unchanged from prior years.

Management reviews the Group’s cost of capital on an ongoing basis as well as the risks associated with each

capital instrument and makes recommendations to the Board for approval.

4. Critical accounting estimates and judgments made in applying the Group’s accounting

policies

a) Maintenance policy

For aircraft held under operating lease agreements, provision is made for the minimum unavoidable costs of

specific future obligations created by the lease at the time when such obligation becomes certain. The amount

of the provision involves making estimates of the cost of the heavy maintenance work that is required to

discharge the obligation, including any end of lease costs.

The cost of heavy maintenance is capitalised and recognised as a tangible fixed asset (and classified as an

“aircraft maintenance asset”) at the earlier of: (a) the time the lease re-delivery condition is no longer met; or

(b) when maintenance, including enhancement, is carried out.

The calculation of the depreciation charge on such assets involves making estimates for the future utilisation

of the aircraft and in the case of engines also of the future operating conditions of the engine.

The policy adopted by the Company, as summarized above, is only one of the policies available under IFRS in

accounting for heavy maintenance for aircraft held under operating lease agreements. A principal alternative

policy involves recognising provisions for future maintenance obligations in accordance with hours flown or

similar measure, and not only when lease re-delivery conditions are not met. The directors believe the policy

adopted by the Company provides the most reliable and relevant information about the Company's

obligations to incur major maintenance expenditure on leased aircraft and at the same time it best reflects the

fact that an aircraft has lower maintenance requirements in the early years of its operation.

b) Hedge and derivative accounting

The fair value of derivatives (namely the open position of cash flow hedges) is estimated by the contracting

financial institutions as per their industry practice. As required, the fair values ascribed to those instruments

are verified also by management using high-level models. Further, the effectiveness of hedges is tested both

prospectively and retrospectively to determine the appropriate accounting treatment of hedge gains and

losses.

c) Net presentation of government taxes and other similar levies

The Group’s accounting policy stipulates that where charges levied by airports or government authorities on

a per passenger basis represent a government tax in fact or in substance, then such amounts are presented

on a net basis in the statement of comprehensive income (netted between the revenue and the airport,

handling and en-route charges lines).

Management reviews all passenger-based charges levied by airports and government authorities to ensure

that any amounts recovered from passengers in respect of these charges are appropriately classified within

the statement of comprehensive income. Given the variability of these charges and the number of airports and

jurisdictions within which the Group operates, the assessment of whether these items constitute taxes in nature

is an inherently complex area, requiring a level of judgment.

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 116

ACCOUNTS AND OTHER INFORMATION

NOTES FORMING PART OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

CONTINUED

4. Critical accounting estimates and judgments made in applying the Group’s accounting

policies

continued

d) Cost and fair value of aircraft and spare engine assets

When the Group acquires new aircraft and spare engines, then it applies the following critical judgment in

determining the acquisition cost of these assets:

 Engine contracts typically include the selection of an engine type to be installed on future new aircraft, a

commitment to purchase certain number of spare engines, and lump-sum (i.e. not per engine) concessions

from the manufacturer. Management recalculates the unit cost of engines by allocating lump-sum credits

over all engines ordered and by adjusting costs between installed and spare engines in a way that ensures

that identical physical assets have equal acquisition cost.

 Aircraft acquisition costs are recalculated to reflect the impacts of (i) any adjustment on the cost of

installed engines (as above); and (ii) concessions received from the manufacturers of other aircraft

components under selection agreements. While the Group has not so far purchased aircraft (but leased

them all), the acquisition cost has relevance also for leased aircraft when calculating the amount of total

gain or loss on the respective sale and leaseback agreement (see next).

What regards gains and losses coming from sale and leaseback agreements for aircraft and spare engines, the

determination of the amounts to be deferred and to be recognised immediately, respectively, requires

estimating the fair value of these assets at the date of the transaction. In determining fair values the Group

relies on independent third party valuation reports prepared by specialist aircraft and engine valuation experts.

5. Discontinued operation

In October 2018 the Group decided to cease its online tour operator business line and thus the activity of Wizz

Tours Kft. effective from 31 December 2018. This business line was in the past presented as a separate

operating segment of the Group (see Note 6) and for the purposes of the current financial statements was

classified as discontinued operation under IFRS 5. The results of the discontinued operation are presented as

a single loss figure in the statement of comprehensive income. The 2018 statement of comprehensive income

was re-presented accordingly, which impacted revenues and certain expense lines. The other financial

statements include balances and cash flows for the full Group, including those of the discontinued operation.

The financial information relating to the discontinued operation is set below:

2019

2018

€ million

Revenue

7.6

9.1

Expenses

(11.3)

(10.3)

Loss before income tax

(3.7)

(1.3)

Income tax expense

Loss from discontinued operation

(3.7)

(1.3)

Other comprehensive income/(expense) – items that may be

subsequently reclassified to profit or loss:

Other comprehensive income/(expense) for the year, net of tax

from discontinued operation

Total comprehensive expense for the year from

discontinued operation

(3.7)

(1.3)

The 2019 expenses and the post-tax loss include €1.9 million loss recognised on the disposal of the assets of

the discontinued operation. No assets were sold. Earnings per share for the discontinued operation was

antidilutive and for this reason it is not being disclosed.

2019

2018

€ million

Net cash generated by operating activities (4.7)

(0.4)

Net cash used in investing activities (0.5)

(0.3)

Net cash from financing activities 5.0

Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents generated by the

discontinued operation

(0.2)

(0.7)

Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the year

0.8

1.5

Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the year

0.6

0.8

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 117

ACCOUNTS AND OTHER INFORMATION

NOTES FORMING PART OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

CONTINUED

6. Segment information

Reportable segment information

The Chief Operating Decision Maker’ of the Group, as defined in IFRS 8 ‘Operating segments’ is the senior

management team of the Group.

The Group had two reportable segments: the airline and the tour operator business units, marketed under the

Wizz Air and Wizz Tours brand names, respectively. In October 2018 the Group decided to cease operating

Wizz Tours Kft. as of 31 December 2018. Following this closure (i) the Group has only one reportable segment

being its entire route network; (ii) all segment revenue is derived wholly from external customers and, as the

Group has a single reportable segment, inter-segment revenue is zero.

Wizz Air sells flight tickets and related services to external customers and, to a small extent (until 31 December

2018), to Wizz Tours. Wizz Tours sold travel packages to external customers, such packages including flight

tickets from the network of Wizz Air. The intra-group revenue of Wizz Air was €9.0 million in 2018 and €6.7

million in 2019 (until the closure of the tour operator business). The Group estimates that the revenues of Wizz

Air from the sale of flight tickets will not be negatively impacted by the closure of Wizz Tours as tickets in

broadly the same amount and value will be purchased in the future by its passengers either directly or through

other tour operators and agents. For more details on the discontinued operation, please refer to Note 5.

Reconciliation of reportable segment revenue and operating profit to consolidated profit after income tax:

2019

2018

€ million

Segment revenue 2,319.1 1,939.0

Segment operating expenses (2,019.4) (1,645.9)

Segment operating profit 299.8 293.0

Net financing income/(expense) 0.5 (5.7)

Income tax expense (4.9) (11.0)

Profit from continuing operation 295.3 276.4

Entity-wide disclosures

Products and services

Revenue from external customers can be analysed by groups of similar services as follows:

2019

2018

€ million

Airline passenger ticket revenue 1,366.1 1,132.2

Airline ancillary revenue 953.0 806.8

Total segment revenue 2,319.1 1,939.0

These categories are non-GAAP categories meaning that they are not necessarily distinct from a nature, timing

and risks point of view; however, management believes that these categories provide clarity over the revenue

profile of the Group to the readers of the financial statements and are in line with airline industry practice. The

categories as per the definition of IFRS 15 are disclosed in Note 7.

Airline ancillary revenues arise mainly from baggage charges, booking/payment handling fees, airport check-

in fees, fees for various convenience services (priority boarding, extended legroom, reserved seat), loyalty

programme membership fees, and from commission on the sale of on-board catering, accommodation, car

rental, travel insurance, bus transfers, premium calls and co-branded cards.

Geographic areas

Segment revenue can be analysed by geographic area as follows:

2019

2018

€ million

EU 2,014.7 1,713.2

Other (non-EU) 304.4 225.8

Total revenue from external customers 2,319.1 1,939.0

Revenue was allocated to geographic areas based on the location of the first departure airport on each

ticket booking.

The location of non-current assets is not tracked by the Group and is therefore not disclosed by geographic

area. This is because (i) by value most assets are associated either with aircraft not yet received (pre-delivery

payments) or with existing leased aircraft (maintenance assets) and spare engines, the location of which

changes regularly following aircraft capacity allocation decisions; and (ii) the value of the remaining asset

categories (land and buildings, fixtures and fittings) is not material within the total non-current assets.

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 118

ACCOUNTS AND OTHER INFORMATION

NOTES FORMING PART OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

CONTINUED

6. Segment information

continued

Entity-wide disclosures continued

Major customers

The Group derives the vast majority of its revenues from its passengers and sells most of its tickets directly to

the passengers as final customers rather than through corporate intermediaries (tour operators, travel agents

or similar).

7. Revenue

The split of total revenue presented in the statement of comprehensive income, being passenger ticket

revenue and ancillary revenue, is a non-GAAP measure (or Alternative Performance Measure). The Group did

not change the disaggregation of revenue, as applied under IAS 18, to that defined under IFRS 15. The existing

presentation is considered relevant for the users of the financial statements because (i) it mirrors disclosures

presented outside of the financial statements and (ii) it is regularly reviewed by the Chief Operating Decision

Maker for evaluating financial performance of the (now only one) operating segment.

Revenue from contracts with customers can be disaggregated as follows based on IFRS 15:

2019

2018

€’000

Revenue from contracts with passengers 2,296.4 1,925.5

Revenue from contracts with other partners 22.7 13.5

Total revenue from contracts with customers

2,319.1 1,939.0

These two categories represent revenues that are distinct from a nature, timing and risks point of view.

Revenue from contracts with other partners relate to commissions on the sale of on-board catering,

accommodation, car rental, travel insurance, bus transfers, premium calls and co-branded cards.

The contract assets reported in 2019 as part of trade and other receivables amounted to €2.2 million and the

contract liabilities (unearned revenues) reported as part of deferred income were €395.1 million. Of the €2,319.1

million revenue recognised in 2019, €304.4 million was included in the contract liability balance at the

beginning of the year (see unearned revenue in Note 26). For 2018 the same amount was €260.0 million.

8. Operating profit

Net other expenses

Net other expenses decreased from €54.2 million in 2018 to €30.9 million in 2019. This reduction was driven

by credit items in 2019 totalling €44.5m relating to various aircraft asset sale and leaseback transactions and

certain supplier contract negotiations. These items are not expected to recur to the same magnitude in the

2020 financial year.

Auditors’ remuneration

2019

2018

€’000

Fees payable to Company’s auditors for the audit of the consolidated

financial statements 318 242

Fees payable to the Company’s auditors and their associates for other services

Audit of financial statements of subsidiaries pursuant to legislation 51 23

Other services relating to taxation 293 417

Audit-related assurance and transaction services 65 -

All other services - 19

Total remuneration of auditors 727 701

Inventories

Inventories totalling €7.9 million were recognised as an expense in the year (2018: €5.1 million).

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 119

ACCOUNTS AND OTHER INFORMATION

NOTES FORMING PART OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

CONTINUED

9. Staff numbers and costs

The monthly average number of persons employed during the year, including Non-Executive Directors and

inactive employees but excluding subcontracted staff such as rented pilots, analysed by category, was as

follows:

Number of persons

2019

2018

Non-Executive Directors 9 9

Crew and pilots 3,931 3,113

Administration and other staff 321 265

Total staff number 4,261 3,387

The aggregate compensation of these persons was as follows:

2019

2018

€ million

Wages and salaries 152.7

106.6

Pension costs 6.6

5.6

Social security costs other than pension 14.1

12.7

Share-based payments 3.0

3.2

Subtotal 176.4

128.1

Subcontracted staff costs (rented pilots) 22.2

19.5

Total staff costs 198.6

147.6

10. Directors’ emoluments

2019

2018

€ million

Salaries and other short-term benefits 1.5 1.6

Social security costs 0.2 0.2

Share-based payments 0.6 1.1

Directors’ services and related expenses 0.4 0.2

Total Directors’ emoluments 2.7 3.1

2019

2018

Directors receiving emoluments 12 10

The number of Directors who in respect of their services received LTIP share

options under long-term incentive schemes during the year 1 1

11. Net financing income and expense

2019

2018

€ million

Interest income 2.8

2.8

Other 3.4

Financial income 6.2

2.8

Interest expenses:

Convertible debt (2.0)

(1.8)

Finance lease (0.3)

(0.5)

Other (1.8)

(2.7)

Financial expenses (4.1)

(5.0)

Foreign exchange gains/(losses):

Realised (3.9)

0.2

Unrealised 2.3

(3.7)

Net foreign exchange loss (1.6)

(3.5)

Net financing income/(expense) 0.5

(5.7)

Interest income and expense include interest on financial instruments and, under the ‘Other’ category the

effect of the initial discounting of long-term deposits and the later unwinding of such discounting.

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 120

ACCOUNTS AND OTHER INFORMATION

NOTES FORMING PART OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

CONTINUED

12. Income tax expense

Recognised in the statement of comprehensive income

2019

2018

€ million

Current tax on profits for the year 1.4

3.9

Adjustment for current tax of prior periods (2.9)

Other income-based taxes for the year 10.4

6.4

Adjustment for income-based taxes of prior periods 1.0

Total current tax expense 9.9

10.3

Deferred tax – decrease in deferred tax liabilities (4.9)

0.7

Deferred tax – increase in deferred tax assets (0.1)

Total deferred tax (benefit)/expense (5.0)

0.7

Total tax charge 4.9

11.0

The Company, that is Wizz Air Holdings Plc, has a tax rate of 7.8% (2018: 7.8%). The tax rate relates to

Switzerland, where the Company is tax resident. The income tax expense is fully attributable to continuing

operations. The adjustment for current tax of prior periods and the decrease in deferred tax liabilities are

caused by the reduction in the Swiss income tax rate applicable to Wizz Air Hungary Kft., and as such are one-

off in nature.

Reconciliation of effective tax rate

The tax charge for the year (including both current and deferred tax charges and credits) is different to the

Company’s standard rate of corporation tax of 7.8% (2018: 7.8%). The difference is explained below.

2019

2018

€ million

Profit before tax 300.2

287.3

Tax at the corporation tax rate of 7.8% (2018: 7.8%) 23.4

22.4

Adjustment for taxes of prior periods (1.9)

Decrease in deferred tax liabilities due to reduced Swiss tax rate (5.3)

Effect of different tax rate of subsidiaries versus the parent company (22.7)

(17.8)

Other income based foreign tax 11.4

6.4

Total tax charge 4.9

11.0

Effective tax rate 1.6%

3.8%

The Company paid €0.2 million tax in the year (2018: €0.2 million). Substantially all the profits of the Group in

2019 and 2018 were made by the airline subsidiaries of the Group (being Wizz Air Hungary Kft, in 2018, and in

2019 also Wizz Air UK Limited), and substantially all the tax charges presented in this Note were incurred by

these two entities.

Other income based foreign tax represents the “innovation contribution” and the local business tax payable in

Hungary in 2019 and 2018 by the Hungarian subsidiaries of the Group, primarily Wizz Air Hungary Kft.

Hungarian local business tax and innovation contribution are levied on an adjusted profit basis.

Recognised in the statement of other comprehensive income

2019

2018

€ million

Deferred tax (0.3)

0.2

Total tax charge (0.3)

0.2

13. Earnings per share

Basic earnings per share

Basic earnings per share is calculated by dividing the profit attributable to equity holders of the Company by

the weighted average number of Ordinary Shares in issue during each period.

2019

2018

Profit from the year from continuing operation, € million 295.3

276.4

Profit from the year, € million 291.6

275.1

Weighted average number of Ordinary Shares in issue 72,753,686

68,739,736

Basic earnings per share from continuing operation, € 4.06

4.02

Basic earnings per share, € 4.01

4.00

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 121

ACCOUNTS AND OTHER INFORMATION

NOTES FORMING PART OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

CONTINUED

13. Earnings per share

continued

Basic earnings per share continued

There were also 29,830,503 Convertible Shares in issue at 31 March 2019 (see Note 28). These shares are

non-participating, i.e. the profit attributable to them is nil. These shares are not included in the basic earnings

per share calculation above.

Diluted earnings per share

Diluted earnings per share is calculated by adjusting the weighted average number of Ordinary Shares in issue

with the weighted average number of Ordinary Shares that could have been issued in the respective year

as a result of the conversion of the following convertible instruments of the Group:

 Convertible Shares (see Note 28);

 Convertible Notes (see Note 24); and

 employee share options (see Note 27) (vested share options are included in the calculation).

The profit for the year has been adjusted for the purposes of calculating diluted earnings per share in respect

of the interest charge relating to the debt which could have been converted into shares.

2019

2018

Profit for the year from continuing operation, € million 295.3

276.4

Profit for the year, € million 291.6

275.1

Interest expense on convertible debt (net of tax), € million 2.0

1.8

Profit used to determine diluted earnings per share from continuing

operation, € million

297.3

278.2

Profit used to determine diluted earnings per share, € million 293.6

276.9

Weighted average number of Ordinary Shares in issue 72,753,686

68,739,736

Adjustment for assumed conversion of convertible instruments 54,372,732

58,111,974

Weighted average number of Ordinary Shares for diluted earnings per share 127,126,418

126,851,711

Diluted earnings per share from continuing operation, € 2.34

2.19

Diluted earnings per share, € 2.31

2.18

Interest expense on convertible debt was all related to the continuing operation. The dilution effect of each

class of convertible instrument from the total 54,372,732 dilutive shares in 2018 was the following: Convertible

Shares: 29,830,503 shares; convertible debt: 24,246,715 shares and employee share options: 295,514 shares.

14. Property, plant and equipment

Land and

buildings

Aircraft

maintenance

assets

Aircraft parts

Fixtures and

fittings

Advances paid

for aircraft

Advances paid

for aircraft

maintenance

assets

Total

€ million

Cost

At 1 April 2017 9.6

256.0

69.5

6.2

206.3

74.7

622.3

Additions -

88.2

17.8

6.7

219.8

58.8

391.3

Disposals (0.1)

(18.3)

(23.0)

(0.3)

(94.8)

(4.5)

(141.0)

Transfers -

25.5

(25.5)

Foreign exchange

differences -

(0.1)

At 31 March 2018 9.5

351.4

64.2

12.6

331.3

103.5

872.5

Additions 15.8

44.5

31.6

0.8

102.7

76.2

271.5

Disposals (4.8)

(12.1)

(26.7)

(0.1)

(174.0)

(10.3)

(228.1)

Transfers -

30.9

5.0

(5.0)

(30.9)

At 31 March 2019 20.5

414.3

74.1

8.3

259.9

138.6

915.7

Accumulated

depreciation

At 1 April 2017 2.0

95.9

14.9

3.8

116.6

Depreciation

charge for the year 0.8

77.2

8.3

0.6

86.9

Disposals (0.1)

(12.6)

(2.5)

(0.3)

(15.5)

At 31 March 2018 2.7

160.5

20.7

4.1

188.0

Depreciation charge

for the year 1.0

75.3

10.3

0.8

87.4

Disposals (2.1)

(11.9)

(4.6)

(0.1)

(18.8)

At 31 March 2019 1.6

223.7

26.3

4.8

256.4

Net book amount

At 31 March 2019 19.0

190.6

47.8

3.5

259.9

138.6

659.3

At 31 March 2018 6.8

190.9

43.5

8.5

331.3

103.5

684.5

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 122

ACCOUNTS AND OTHER INFORMATION

NOTES FORMING PART OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

CONTINUED

14. Property, plant and equipment

continued

Additions to aircraft parts were €31.6 million (2018: €17.8 million) primarily related to the delivery of spare

engines from the engine manufacturer.

Additions to aircraft maintenance assets (€44.5 million in 2019 and €88.2 million in 2018) were fixed assets

created primarily against provision, as the Group’s aircraft or their main components did not any longer meet

the relevant return conditions under lease contracts. The additions in 2019 were related primarily to future

required airframe checks and engine LLP (life limited part) replacements, while the additions in 2018 related

almost exclusively to future LLP replacements.

Additions to ‘advances paid to aircraft maintenance assets’ reflect primarily the advance payments made by

the Group to the engine maintenance service provider under fleet hour agreements (FHA).

Additions to ‘advances paid for aircraft’ represent pre-delivery payments (PDP) made in the period, while

disposals in the same category represent PDP refunds received from the manufacturer where the respective

aircraft or spare engine was leased (i.e. not purchased) by the Group. During 2018 the Group accumulated a

PDP balance with Airbus that was above the contractual obligation. During 2019 the balance was reduced and

there were no PDP payments made by the Group during the year – hence in the statement of cash flows there

is only cash inflow (€71.3 million ‘refund of advances paid for aircraft’) but there is no cash outflow. The

additions in this table for 2019 (€102.7 million) represent the new PDP obligations in the year, even though in

the cash flows these were fully netted with the refunds receivable.

Land and buildings include the following amounts where the Group is a lessee under a finance lease:

2019

2018

€ million

Cost from capitalised finance lease 2.6

7.5

Accumulated depreciation (0.6)

(2.5)

Net book amount 2.0

5.0

15. Intangible assets

Software

€ million

Licences

€ million

Total

€ million

Cost

At 1 April 2017 18.7

0.1

18.8

Additions 6.5

4.6

11.1

At 31 March 2018 25.2

4.7

29.9

Additions 9.9

9.9

Disposals (1.9)

(1.9)

At 31 March 2019 33.2

4.7

37.9

Accumulated amortisation

At 1 April 2017 8.5

8.5

Amortisation charge for the year 3.7

0.1

3.8

At 31 March 2018 12.2

0.1

12.3

Amortisation charge for the year 6.7

0.1

6.8

Disposals (1.8)

(1.8)

At 31 March 2019 17.2

0.2

17.4

Net book amount

At 31 March 2019 16.0

4.5

20.5

At 31 March 2018 13.0

4.6

17.6

Of the €4.6 million additions during 2018 to licenses €4.5 million relates to landing slots at London Luton

airport, purchased from Monarch Airlines. As these landing slots have no expiry date and are expected to be

used in perpetuity, they are considered to have indefinite life and accordingly are not amortized. There was

no indication of a need for impairment.

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 123

ACCOUNTS AND OTHER INFORMATION

NOTES FORMING PART OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

CONTINUED

16. Tax assets and liabilities

Deferred tax liabilities recognised

Provisions for

other liabilities

and charges

Property, plant

and equipment

Advances paid for

aircraft maintenance

assets

Other

Total

€ million

At 1 April 2017 2.2

2.5

1.2

0.6

6.5

Charged/(credited) to:

Profit or loss (0.3)

0.5

0.4

0.1

0.7

Other comprehensive income -

0.2

At 31 March 2018 1.9

3.0

1.6

0.9

7.4

Charged/(credited) to:

Profit or loss (1.4)

(2.1)

(1.0)

(0.4)

(4.9)

Other comprehensive income -

(0.3)

At 31 March 2019 0.5

0.9

0.6

0.2

2.2

Less than one year -

0.2

Greater than one year 0.5

0.9

0.6

2.0

Deferred tax assets recognised

The balance of deferred tax assets was €0.1 million (current) in 2019 (2018: nil), charged to profit or loss.

It belongs to Wizz Air UK Limited in connection mainly with provisions for employee pensions and

unused holidays.

Unrecognised deferred tax assets

Until 31 March 2010 Wizz Air Hungary Kft. was Hungarian tax resident and up to this date had accumulated a

€30.0 million tax loss in Hungary. This balance remained unchanged at 31 March 2019. This loss can be utilised

only to offset profits generated under Hungarian tax residency latest in tax year 2025. The Group does not

expect to have profit of this magnitude being generated under Hungarian tax residency in the foreseeable

future and therefore no deferred tax asset is recognised in relation to these tax losses.

17. Subsidiaries

The Group has the following subsidiaries:

Country of

incorporation

Principal activity

Class of

shares held

Percentage

held

Financial

year end

Subsidiary undertakings

Wizz Air Hungary Kft. Hungary

Airline operator

Ordinary

100

31 March

Cabin Crew Professionals Sp. z o.o.

Poland

Dormant

Ordinary

100

31 December

Wizz Air Bosnia

Bosnia and

Herzegovina

Crew company

Ordinary

100

31 December

Wizz Air Netherland Holding B.V. Netherlands

Dormant

Ordinary

100

31 March

Dnieper Aviation LLC Ukraine

Dormant

Ordinary

100

31 December

Wizz Air Ukraine Airlines LLC Ukraine

Dormant

Ordinary

100

31 December

Wizz Tours Kft. Hungary

Dormant

Ordinary

100

31 March

Wizz Aviation Professionals Moldova

Crew company

Ordinary

100

31 December

WA Pilot Academy Sp. z.o.o. Poland

Special purpose

company

Ordinary

100

31 December

Wizz Air UK Limited UK

Airline operator

Ordinary

100

31 March

As of 31 March 2019 the company form of Wizz Air Hungary was changed from ‘Kft.’ to ‘Zrt.’, a corporate form

under Hungarian law that can be described as ‘private company limited by shares’. The change of corporate

form did not impact the rights and obligations of the entity.

Wizz Tours Kft, was an online tour operator business that stopped trading operations during the year (see

Note 5 Discontinued operations).

Wizz Air UK Limited is an airline licensed by the UK Civil Aviation Authority, that started its trading operations

during the 2019 financial year.

Certain subsidiaries have a financial year end different from the Group’s financial year end due to the

requirements of local legislation.

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 124

ACCOUNTS AND OTHER INFORMATION

NOTES FORMING PART OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

CONTINUED

18. Inventories

2019

2018

€ million

Aircraft consumables 16.8

13.6

Emissions trading scheme (‘EU ETS’) purchased allowances 14.9

8.0

Total inventories 31.7

21.6

During the year remnant stock with the book value of €0.1 million was written off to maintenance expenses

(2018: €0.1 million). There was no write back in either period of any write down of inventory made previously.

19. Trade and other receivables

2019

2018

€ million

Non-current

Receivables from lessors 13.7

43.7

Other receivables 3.3

Non-current trade and other receivables 17.0

43.7

Current

Trade receivables 124.1

81.7

Receivables from lessors 87.0

50.6

Other receivables 6.6

2.4

Total current other receivables 93.6

53.0

Less: provision for impairment of other receivables -

Other current receivables net 93.6

53.0

Prepayments, deferred expenses and accrued income 69.6

60.7

Current trade and other receivables 287.3

195.4

Total trade and other receivables 304.3

239.0

Receivables from lessors (both current and non-current) represent the deposits provided by Wizz Air to

lessors as security in relation to the lease contracts and in relation to the funding of future maintenance events.

Trade receivables included €64.8 million receivables from contracts with customers (2018: €46.1 million). The

increase in contract assets was driven by ticket sales receivables that increased by €17.7 million year on year.

This was due to general business growth and to higher than average growth in tour operator contract volume.

Impairment of trade and other receivables

2019

2018

€ million

Impaired receivables

– other receivables 2.6

2.8

Allowances on impaired receivables

– other receivables -

The Group previously recorded €2.1 million receivables from Warsaw Modlin airport as compensation for

damages which was immediately impaired in full. However, the Group is legally claiming the full amount in

court. The compensation claimed by Wizz Air, plus interest, was awarded by the District Court of Warsaw in

June 2018. However, the airport appealed against the decision and the next hearing is to be scheduled.

20. Derivative financial instruments

2019

2018

€ million

Assets

Non-current derivatives

Cash flow hedges 3.0

2.5

Current derivatives

Cash flow hedges 28.5

31.7

Total derivative financial assets 31.5

34.2

Liabilities

Non-current derivatives

Cash flow hedges (1.5)

(0.9)

Current derivatives

Cash flow hedges (17.3)

(12.8)

Total derivative financial liabilities (18.8)

(13.7)

Derivative financial instruments represent cash flow hedges (see Note 3). The full value of a hedging derivative

is classified as a current asset or liability if the remaining maturity of the hedged item is less than a year.

The cash flow hedges expiring in 2019 had no ineffective portion in 2019 and 2018.

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 125

ACCOUNTS AND OTHER INFORMATION

NOTES FORMING PART OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

CONTINUED

20. Derivative financial instruments

continued

Starting from 1 April 2018 the Group adopted IFRS 9 and as a consequence the net position of assets and

liabilities matches the cash flow hedging reserve in the statement of financial position, the only reconciling

items being (i) deferred tax recognised in the hedging reserve and (ii) the impact of hedging with

non-derivatives (altogether €0.2 million debit in 2019).

The mark-to-market gains (derivative financial assets) were coming from gains on call options bought (as part

of zero-cost collar instruments) that were in the money at year end. In 2018 these gains related almost

exclusively to fuel options (as fuel prices increased significantly during the year) while in 2019 related both to

fuel and FX options.

The mark-to-market losses (derivative financial liabilities) were coming from losses on put options sold (as

part of zero-cost collar instruments) that were out of the money at year end. In 2018 these losses related

exclusively to FX options (as the USD weakened significantly against the EUR during the year), while in 2019

related almost exclusively to fuel options.

21. Deferred interest

2019

2018

€ million

Non-current

Deferred PDP interest 1.1

2.4

Deferred interest expense 1.2

1.0

2.3

3.4

Current

Deferred PDP interest 0.6

0.2

Total deferred interest 0.6

0.2

Deferred interest expense represents the deferred initial discount adjustments calculated for

non-current receivables.

Deferred PDP interest is the deferred part of PDP interest expenses incurred on leased aircraft or spare

engines. Such interest relates to aircraft or spare engine PDP payments financed by third parties, and is initially

recognised under property, plant and equipment (advances paid for aircraft). When the leased aircraft or spare

engine is delivered, PDP interest is reclassified to deferred interest expense. It is then amortised on a

straight-line basis over the lease term of the respective asset and the amortisation charge is recognised in the

statement of comprehensive income as aircraft rental expense.

22. Restricted cash

2019

2018

€ million

Non-current financial assets 165.8

159.4

Current financial assets 23.1

2.8

Total restricted cash 188.9

162.2

Restricted cash comprises cash in bank, against which there are letters of credit issued or other restrictions in

place governing the use of that cash, resulting from agreements with aircraft lessors or other business partners.

Restricted cash is excluded from cash and cash equivalents in the cash flow statement

Restricted cash during the 2019 and 2018 financial years was held mainly on current account in Euros, earning

no interest.

23. Borrowings

2019

2018

€ million

Non-current liabilities

Finance lease liabilities 2.1

4.7

Total non-current borrowings 2.1

4.7

Current liabilities

Finance lease liabilities 0.1

0.6

Total current borrowings 0.1

0.6

Total borrowings 2.2

5.3

Finance lease liabilities relate to a maintenance hangar building leased by the Group.

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 126

ACCOUNTS AND OTHER INFORMATION

NOTES FORMING PART OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

CONTINUED

23. Borrowings

continued

2019

2018

€ million

Gross finance liabilities – minimum lease payments

No later than one year 0.3

1.0

Later than one year and no later than five years 1.2

4.0

Later than five years

1.9

2.3

Future contractual undiscounted cash flows 3.4

7.3

Future finance charges on finance lease liabilities (1.2)

(2.0)

Present value of finance lease liabilities 2.2

5.3

2019

2018

€ million

Present value of finance liabilities

No later than one year 0.1

0.6

Later than one year and no later than five years 0.6

3.0

Later than five years 1.5

1.7

Present value of finance lease liabilities 2.2

5.3

The loan liability decreased significantly, since the aircraft flight simulator asset have been sold.

24. Convertible debt

2019

2018

€ million

Non-current financial liabilities 26.6

26.6

Current financial liabilities 0.2

0.3

Total convertible debt 26.8

26.9

Convertible debt is Convertible Notes held by Indigo Hungary LP and Indigo Maple Hill LP (“Indigo”).

Principal and any accrued interest on the Convertible Notes are convertible into Ordinary Shares in Wizz Air

Holdings Plc at conversion factors in the range of €1.0–1.5 for one share. Such Ordinary Shares issued as a

result of conversion in certain cases might be subject to restrictions on voting and dividend rights. Until the

Notes are converted, interest on the Notes is payable in cash with a coupon rate of interest of 8 % per annum,

twice a year in February and in August.

Convertible Notes are guaranteed by Wizz Air Hungary Kft. – see Note 31.

For more information about the Group’s exposure to interest rate risk, see Note 3.

25. Trade and other payables

2019

2018

€ million

Current liabilities

Trade payables 79.0

60.1

Other trade payables 13.7

10.0

Accrued expenses 213.7

179.0

Total trade and other payables 306.4

249.1

The Group’s liabilities for EU 261 passenger compensation were previously presented as accruals under trade

and other payables in the statement of financial position. However, management considered it to be more

appropriate to present this liability under provisions and applied this presentation in 2019.

Prior year comparatives as at 31 March 2018 have been re-presented by reclassifying €5.5 million from trade

and other payables to current provisions (€3.2 million as at 1 April 2017).

26. Deferred income

2019

2018

€ million

Non-current financial liabilities

Deferred income 104.2

107.3

Current financial liabilities

Unearned revenue 395.1

304.4

Other 24.9

25.7

420.0

330.1

Total deferred income 524.2

437.4

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 127

ACCOUNTS AND OTHER INFORMATION

NOTES FORMING PART OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

CONTINUED

26. Deferred income

continued

Non-current deferred income represents the value of benefit for the Group coming from concessions (cash

credits and free aircraft components) received from aircraft and certain component suppliers, that will be

recognised as a credit (an aircraft rentals expenses decreasing item) on a straight-line basis over the lease

term of the respective asset.

Current deferred income represents the value of tickets paid by passengers for which the flight service is yet

to be performed (‘unearned revenue’), the value of membership fees paid but not yet recognised and the

current part of the value of supplier credits received. The significant increase in unearned revenue was driven

by the year-on-year increase of offered seat capacity, higher selling load factor, higher selling unit revenues

and the Easter effect (as Easter in 2019 was after the year end).

The contract liabilities (unearned revenue) of €395.1 million existing at 31 March 2019 will all become revenue

during the 2020 financial year.

27. Employee benefits

Share-based payments

The share-based payment charge in the financial statements for the year relates to employee share options

issued (i) during 2005–2015 under the 2005 International Employee Share Option Plan (‘ESOP’) and (ii) during

2015–2018 under the 2014 Employee Long Term Incentive Plan (‘LTIP’) of the Group.

The options are classified as equity-settled share-based payments. The Company issues new shares for any

options exercised, irrespective of the method of exercise. The fair value of the awards and options is

recognised as staff cost over the estimated vesting period with a corresponding charge to equity.

The expenses (other than social security) recognised in relation to these instruments were the following:

2019

2018

€ million

ESOP options -

0.2

LTIP options 3.0

3.0

Total share-based payments charge 3.0

3.2

Long-term Incentive Plan (LTIP)

Share options issued during the financial year

Terms and conditions:

Restricted

Options

Performance

Options

Number of options 41,500

269,672

Exercise price nil

nil

Vesting period 3 years

3 years

Termination 10 years

10 years

There are no individual performance conditions set for the employees to exercise their options after the three-

year vesting period other than that the employee must be in employment with one of the Group entities until

and on the date of exercise of the options.

For the Performance Options the performance conditions are set as follows, with 50% weighting for each:

 total shareholder return (TSR) of the Group relative to the TSR of certain selected European airlines over

the three-year period following the award; and

 absolute growth in fully diluted earnings per share of the Group, measured over the period from 1 April

2018 to 31 March 2021.

The percentage of Performance Options that will vest will be determined on a pro-rata basis (“payout rate”)

to the extent that the target levels for these performance conditions will be met by the Group.

The fair value of options granted was determined by using the Black-Scholes model, resulting in €33.10-35.75

per share, depending on the date of grant. The total cost of the grant was determined based on: (i) the fair

value of options; (ii) the number of options expected to be forfeited due to employee turnover; and (iii) the

estimated payout rate for Performance Options.

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 128

ACCOUNTS AND OTHER INFORMATION

NOTES FORMING PART OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

CONTINUED

27. Employee benefits

continued

Share-based payments continued

Long-term Incentive Plan (LTIP)

continued

Share options in issue

The number of LTIP share options in issue at year end is as follows:

Restricted

Options

Performance

Options

Outstanding at the beginning of the year 84,792

579,305

Granted during the year 41,500

269,672

Exercised during the year (9,250)

(26,249)

Forfeited during the year (5,500)

(12,000)

Outstanding at the end of the year 111,542

810,729

Exercisable at the end of the year 15,500

107,554

Employee Share Option Plan (ESOP)

Share options issued during the financial year

There were no share options issued either during the year or in the prior year. The last options under the ESOP

were issued in January 2015 and therefore by January 2018 all open options got vested.

There are no individual performance conditions set for the employees to exercise their vested options other

than that the employees must be in employment with one of the Group entities until and on the date of exercise

of the options.

Share options in issue

The number and weighted average exercise prices of share options are as follows:

2019

Weighted

average

exercise price

2019

Number

2018

Weighted

average

exercise price

2018

Number

€

of options

€

of options

Outstanding at the beginning of the year 13.22

187,500

7.41

528,700

Granted during the year -

Exercised during the year 2.28

(5,500)

4.20

(341,200)

Forfeited during the year -

Outstanding at the end of the year 13.56

182,000

13.22

187,500

Exercisable at the end of the year 13.56

182,000

13.22

187,500

The range of exercise prices on options outstanding at the year end was €€2.24–€13.68 (2018: €2.24–€13.68).

At the end of the financial year, the outstanding options had a weighted average outstanding contractual life

of five years and seven months (2018: six years and seven months).

Taxation

Under the terms of both programmes all taxes payable on share options are the liability of the recipients of

these benefits. However, in certain cases the Company or its subsidiaries have a legal obligation to pay the

employer social security on the income realised by the recipients. To the extent the additional social security

obligations can be estimated, the Group makes a provision for these already during the vesting period of the

instruments.

28. Capital and reserves

Share capital

Number of shares

2019

2018

In issue at beginning of the year 102,576,674

102,235,474

Issued during the year for cash 40,999

341,200

In issue at end of the year – fully paid 102,617,673

102,576,674

Ordinary Shares 72,787,170

72,746,171

Convertible Shares 29,830,503

29,830,503

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 129

ACCOUNTS AND OTHER INFORMATION

NOTES FORMING PART OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

CONTINUED

28. Capital and reserves

continued

Share capital continued

2019

2018 2018

Value of shares

€

£ €

Authorised

Equity: 170,000,000 (2018: 170,000,000) Ordinary

Shares of £0.0001 each and 80,000,000 (2018:

80,000,000) non-voting, non-participating

Convertible Shares of £0.0001 each

25,000

34,415 25,000

34,415

Allotted, called up and fully paid

Equity: 102,617,673 (2018: 102,576,674) shares of

£0.0001 each

10,262

11,921 10,258

13,758

Ordinary Shares

7,279

8,456 7,275 9,757

Convertible Shares

2,983

3,465 2,983 4,001

During both 2019 and 2018 the increase in the total number of issued shares was due to the exercise of certain

employee share options.

Ordinary Shares

The holders of Ordinary Shares are entitled to receive dividends as declared and are entitled to one vote per

share at meetings of the Company.

Convertible Shares

In March 2015, linked to the listing of the Company’s shares on the London Stock Exchange, certain convertible

loans and notes (including accrued interest) were converted into non-voting non-participating Convertible

Shares of the Company. There were 29,830,503 Convertible Shares in issue at 31 March 2019, all fully paid

(2018: 29,830,503 shares). The Convertible Shares are held by Indigo and can be converted into Ordinary

Shares of the Company by Indigo on the condition of meeting certain criteria post-conversion regarding the

overall shareholding structure of the Company.

Capital reserves

Share premium

Share premium has two main components. €207.2 million was recognised as a result of the Group

reorganisation in October 2009. It represents the estimated fair value of the Group at the date of the

transaction. The remaining €171.9 million (as at 31 March 2019) was recognised as a result of new share issues

made since October 2009. These new share issues comprised the primary offering on the initial public offering

of the Company’s shares on the London Stock Exchange in March 2015, the conversion of some of the

convertible debt instruments into shares and the conversion of certain employee share options into shares.

Within this, during the 2018 financial year €1.0 million increase was recorded in the share premium, all related

to conversion of employee share options. The increase in 2019 from the same was €9.2k.

Reorganisation reserve

Reorganisation reserve of €193.0 million was recognised as a result of the Group reorganisation in

October 2009. It is equal to the difference between the fair value of the Group at the date of reorganisation

€209.0 million and the share capital of the Group at the same date (€16.0 million).

Equity part of convertible debt

The equity part of convertible debt in equity comprises the equity component of compound instruments

issued by the Company. The amount of the convertible debts classified as equity of €8.3 million

(2018: €8.3 million) is net of attributable transaction costs of €0.5 million.

Share-based payment charge

The share-based payment balance of €10.1 million credit (2018: €7.1 million) corresponds to the recognised

cumulative charge of share options and share awards provided to the employees and Directors under

long-term incentive schemes. This balance is recognised directly in retained earnings.

Cash flow hedging reserve

The hedging reserve comprises the effective portion of the cumulative unrealised net change in the fair value

of cash flow hedging instruments related to hedged transactions that have not yet occurred.

The gross amount of cumulative unrealised change in the fair value of cash flow hedging instruments was €12.6

million gain (2018: €19.0 million gain), while the deferred tax effect was €0.1 million loss (2018: €0.3 million

loss).

Retained earnings

There were no dividends paid in 2019 or 2018. Share based payments are credited to retained earnings.

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 130

ACCOUNTS AND OTHER INFORMATION

NOTES FORMING PART OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

CONTINUED

29. Provisions for other liabilities and charges

Aircraft

maintenance

Other

Total

€ million

At 1 April 2017 111.8

5.1

116.9

Non-current provisions 77.5

77.5

Current provisions 34.3

5.1

39.4

Capitalised within property, plant and equipment 87.6

87.6

Charged to comprehensive income -

3.8

Used during the year (48.7)

(1.0)

(49.7)

At 31 March 2018 150.7

7.9

158.6

Non-current provisions 94.8

94.8

Current provisions 55.9

7.9

63.8

Capitalised within property, plant and equipment 36.2

36.2

Charged to comprehensive income -

4.5

Used during the year (48.6)

(1.5)

(50.1)

At 31 March 2019 138.3

10.9

149.2

Non-current provisions 45.9

45.9

Current provisions 92.4

10.9

103.3

Non-current provisions relate to future aircraft maintenance obligations of the Group on leased aircraft and

spare engines, falling due beyond one year from the balance sheet date. Current aircraft maintenance

provisions relate to heavy maintenance obligations expected to be fulfilled in the coming financial year. The

amount of provision reflects management’s estimates of the cost of heavy maintenance work that will be

required in the future to discharge obligations under the Group’s operating lease agreements (see Note 4).

Maintenance provisions in relation to engines covered by FHA agreements are netted off with the FHA

prepayments made to the engine maintenance service provider in respect of the same group of engines.

The €38.9 million increase in maintenance provisions from 2017 to 2018 related primarily to new provisions

made for engine Life Limited Part (LLP) replacements planned after March 2018. The €12.4 million decrease in

maintenance provisions from 2018 to 2019 related primarily to LLP replacements as a high number of these

were performed during the 2019 financial year.

Other provisions relate to future liabilities under the Group’s customer loyalty programme, all within one year.

The Group’s liabilities for EU 261 passenger compensation were previously presented as accruals under trade

and other payables in the statement of financial position. However, management considered it to be more

appropriate to present this liability under provisions and applied this presentation in 2019.

Prior year comparatives as at 31 March 2018 have been re-presented by reclassifying €5.5 million from trade

and other payables to current provisions (€3.2 million as at 1 April 2017).

30. Financial instruments

Fair values

The fair values of the financial instruments of the Group together with their carrying amounts shown in the

statement of financial position are as follows:

Carrying amount

Fair value

Carrying amount

Fair value

2019

2018

€ million

Trade and other receivables due after more

than one year 17.0

17.0

43.7

Restricted cash 188.9

188.9

162.2

Derivative financial assets 31.5

31.5

34.2

Trade and other receivables due within one year 287.3

287.3

195.4

Cash and cash equivalents 1,316.0

1,316.0

979.6

Trade and other payables due within one year (306.4)

(306.4)

(249.1)

Derivative financial liabilities (18.8)

(18.8)

(13.7)

Convertible debt (26.8)

(26.8)

(26.9)

Borrowings (2.2)

(2.2)

(5.3)

Net balance of financial instruments (asset) 1,486.5

1,486.5

1,120.1

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 131

ACCOUNTS AND OTHER INFORMATION

NOTES FORMING PART OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

CONTINUED

30. Financial instruments

continued

Fair values continued

The fair value of financial instruments that are not traded in an active market (such as long-term deposits

among the non-current other receivables) is determined by estimated discounted cash flows.

The carrying value less impairment provision of trade receivables and payables are assumed to approximate

their fair values due to the short-term nature of trade receivables and payables. Long-term financial assets and

liabilities which are classified as fair value through profit and loss are recognised on fair value.

Trade and other receivables due after more than one year are almost exclusively maintenance reserves, with

an average term of approximately four years. The fair value of these assets is determined by discounting at a

rate of interest of four-years’ US Dollar swap rate prevailing on the last day of the financial year.

The fair value of derivative financial instruments is based on their actual mark-to-market evaluation of the

financial institutions.

During the year a €62.5 million gain (2018: €15.6 million gain) was realised on derivative financial assets and

liabilities in the income statement.

During the year a €nil gain (2018: €2,000 gain) was realised on financial assets available for sale.

Effective interest rates analysis

Interest-bearing financial liabilities

The following table indicates the effective interest rate of the interest-bearing liabilities of the Group on the

statement of financial position date and the periods in which they mature. Convertible Notes (see Note 24)

are denominated in EUR, while the other short-term loans are denominated in US Dollars.

2019

2018

Effective Total

Within

one

year

One to

two

years

Two to

five

years

Above

five

years

Effective Total

Within

one

year

One to

two

years

Two to

five

years

Above

five

years

nterest

rate

€

million

€

million

€

million

€

million

€

million

interest

rate

€

million

€

million

€

million

€

million

€

million

Convertible Notes 7.4% 26.8 0.2 - 26.6 -

7.4% 26.9 0.3 -

26.6

Finance lease liability 1

-% - - - - -

8.4% 2.9 0.5 0.5

1.9

Finance lease liability 2 7.4% 2.2 0.1 0.1 0.5 1.5

7.4% 2.4 0.1 0.1

0.5

1.7

Interest earning financial assets

The Group invested excess cash primarily in EUR and USD denominated short-term time deposits on market

rate at major banking groups.

Changes in liabilities arising from financing activities

The following table includes changes in net borrowings reconciled with their effects on the Consolidated

statement of cash flows.

2019

2018

€ million

Net borrowings at the beginning of the year 32.2

33.0

Paid interest (2.1)

(1.7)

Repayment of convertible debt and other borrowings (3.1)

(0.6)

Change in net borrowings from cash flows (5.2)

(2.3)

Accrued interest 1.9

1.5

Net borrowings at the end of the year 29.0

32.2

Interest paid in the Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows also contains €1.4 million (2018: €1.1 million)

additional interests not related to net borrowings; these are negative interests incurred on deposits held at

different banks.

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 132

ACCOUNTS AND OTHER INFORMATION

NOTES FORMING PART OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

CONTINUED

31. Financial guarantees

The Company has provided parent guarantees to certain lessors of its aircraft fleet, to guarantee the

performance of its airline subsidiaries under the respective lease contracts.

The Company has provided parent guarantee to the Hungarian Government, to guarantee the performance

of its airline subsidiary in relation to a public services contract for the scheduled transport of passengers

between Hungary and five West-Balkan countries.

The Company has provided parent guarantees to certain hedging counterparties, to guarantee the

performance of Wizz Air Hungary Kft., under the respective hedge contracts.

The Company in April 2018 provided parent guarantee to the UK Civil Aviation Authority, to guarantee the

performance of Wizz Air UK Limited in the context of the UK Operating License application process of Wizz

Air UK Limited.

The note purchase agreement (for Convertible Notes) contains a guarantee and indemnity, pursuant to which

Wizz Air Hungary Kft., inter alia, guarantees to Indigo Hungary LP and Indigo Maple Hill LP the punctual

performance by the Company of its obligations under the note purchase agreement.

32. Lease commitments

The total future minimum lease payments under non-cancellable operating lease rentals are as follows:

2019

2018

€ million

Payments due:

Within one year 413.8

334.8

Between one and five years 1,390.6

1,307.1

More than five years 745.7

743.1

Total operating lease commitments 2,550.1

2,385.0

The majority (96%) of the commitments relate to aircraft operating lease and JOLCO (special Japanese lease)

contracts. The above table includes also the lease costs of those aircraft that are not yet delivered but for

which the lease contract was already signed before the statement of financial position date.

The lease payments are not subject to future escalation, but 14 of the aircraft lease contracts are on a floating

rate and thus the lease payments for these vary with the US Dollar market rates of interest.

33. Capital commitments

At 31 March 2019 the Group had the following capital commitments:

 a commitment to purchase 257 Airbus aircraft of the A320 family in the period 2019–2026. Of the 257

aircraft three relate to the “ceo” version of the A320 family (from purchase orders placed in June 2017)

while the remaining 254 relate to the “neo” version (108 from the purchase order placed in June 2015 and

146 from the purchase order placed in November 2017). The total commitment is valued at US$31.9 billion

(€28.4 billion) at list prices in 2018 US Dollar terms (as at 31 March 2018: US$34.1 billion (€27.7 billion),

valued at 2018 list prices). As at the date of approval of this document 11 of the 257 aircraft are covered

by sale and leaseback agreements; and

 a commitment to purchase 14 IAE “neo” (GTF) spare aircraft engines in the period 2019–2024. For these

engines the Group in July 2016 entered into an engine selection agreement with Pratt & Whitney that,

among other matters, included a commitment for the Group to purchase 16 spare engines starting from

2019. The total commitment is valued at US$218.8 million (€195.2 million) at list prices in 2019 US Dollar

terms (as at March 2018: US$276.0 million (€224.2 million), valued at 2018 list prices). As at the date of

approval of this document the 14 engines are not yet financed.

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 133

ACCOUNTS AND OTHER INFORMATION

NOTES FORMING PART OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

CONTINUED

34. Contingent liabilities

Legal disputes

European Commission state aid investigations

Between 2011 and 2015, the European Commission has initiated state aid investigations with respect to certain

arrangements made between Wizz Air and the following airports, respectively: Timişoara, Cluj-Napoca,

Târgu Mureş, Beauvais and Girona. In the context of these investigations, Wizz Air has submitted its legal

observations and supporting economic analyses of the relevant arrangements to the European Commission,

which are currently under review. The European Commission has given notice that the state aid investigations

involving Wizz Air will be assessed on the basis of the new “EU Guidelines on State aid to airports and airlines”

which were adopted by the European Commission on 20 February 2014. Where relevant, Wizz Air has made

further submissions to the European Commission in response to this notification. Ultimately, an adverse

decision by the European Commission could result in a repayment order for the recovery from Wizz Air of any

amount determined by the European Commission to constitute illegal state aid. None of these ongoing

investigations are expected to lead to exposure that is material to the Group.

Claims by Carpatair

Between 2011 and 2013, Carpatair, a regional airline based in Romania, has initiated a number of legal

proceedings in Romania alleging that Wiz Air has been receiving state aid from Timişoara airport.

Essentially, Carpatair has been seeking a decision on the question whether the scheme of charges applied by

Timişoara airport in the context of Wizz Air’s operations to/from Timişoara airport constitutes state aid. In

2012, the Romanian courts confirmed in a final decision that the scheme of charges applied by Timişoara

airport constitutes state aid, referencing an amount of approximately EUR 3 million. Following this decision,

Carpatair has been seeking a court order obliging Wizz Air to reimburse any such aid to Timişoara airport. A

decision on this matter has been suspended pending the outcome of a separate proceeding initiated by

Timişoara airport on a related question of law.

In parallel, Carpatair has initiated an action for damages against, amongst others, Wizz Air, alleging to have

suffered approximately €93 million in damages as a consequence of (i) state aid granted by Timişoara airport,

and (ii) an alleged abuse of dominant position on the part of Timişoara airport. On 12 July 2018, the court of

first instance found that (i) Carpatair lacks a legal interest for a part of its damages claim, and (ii) the term of

statutes of limitations has expired for the other part of Carpatair’s damages claim, which was consequently

dismissed in full. The decision is currently under appeal.

No provision has been made by the Group in relation to these issues because there is currently no reason to

believe that the Group will incur charges from these cases.

35. Subsequent events

There were no matters arising, between the statement of financial position date and the date on which these

financial statements were approved by the Board of Directors, requiring adjustment or disclosure in

accordance with IAS 10, Events after the reporting period.

36. Related parties

Identity of related parties

Related parties are:

 Indigo Hungary LP and Indigo Maple Hill LP (collectively referred to as “Indigo” here), because it appointed

two Directors to the Board of Directors (all in service at 31 March 2019);

 key management personnel (Directors and Officers); and

Indigo, Directors and Officers altogether held 23.5% of the voting shares of the Company at 31 March 2019

(2018: 23.8%).

Transactions with related parties

There were no transactions with related parties during the fiscal year except as indicated below.

Wizz Air Holdings Plc

Annual report and accounts 2019 134

ACCOUNTS AND OTHER INFORMATION

NOTES FORMING PART OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

CONTINUED

36. Related parties

continued

Transactions with related parties continued

Transactions with Indigo

At 31 March 2019 Indigo held 15,000,000 Ordinary Shares (equal to 20.6% of the Company’s issued share

capital) and 29,830,503 Convertible Shares of the Company (2018: 15,000,000 Ordinary Shares and

29,830,503 Convertible Shares).

Indigo has interest in convertible debt instruments issued by the Company (see Note 24). The Company’s

liability to Indigo, including principal and accrued interest, was €26.8 million at 31 March 2019 (2018: €26.9

million).

During the year ended 31 March 2019 the Company entered into transactions with Indigo as follows:

 the Company recognised interest expense on convertible debt instruments held by Indigo in the amount

of €2.0 million (2018: €2.0 million); and

 fees of €0.3 million (2018: €0.1 million) were paid to Indigo in respect of the remuneration of two of the

Directors who were delegated by Indigo to the Board of Directors of the Company.

Transactions with key management personnel

Officers (members of executive management) and Directors of the Board are considered to be key

management personnel. The compensation of key management personnel, including Non-Executive Directors,

is as follows:

2019

2018

€ million

Salaries and other short-term employee benefits 5.5 5.1

Social security costs 0.9 1.1

Share-based payments 1.9 2.3

Amounts paid to third parties in respect of Directors’ service 0.4 0.2

Total key management compensation expense 8.7 8.7

There were no termination benefits paid to any key management personnel in the year or the prior year.

37. Ultimate controlling party

In the opinion of the Directors there is no individual controlling party in relation to the Company's issued

Ordinary Shares.

As at 30 April 2019 approximately 52.5% of the Ordinary Shares in the Company were owned by Qualifying

Nationals. Shareholders and potential investors are reminded that the Group’s Hungarian operating licence

depends, inter alia, on Qualifying Nationals owning more than 50 % of the Ordinary Shares. The Company’s

articles of association enable the Directors to take action to ensure that the amount of Ordinary Shares held

by Non-Qualifying Nationals does not reach a level that could jeopardise the Group’s entitlement to continue

to hold or enjoy the benefit of any operating licence that benefits the Group.

Qualifying Nationals include: (i) EEA nationals, (ii) nationals of Switzerland and (iii) in respect of any

undertaking, an undertaking that satisfies the conditions as to nationality of ownership and control of

undertakings granted an operating licence contained in Article 4(f) of the Air Services Regulation, as such

conditions may be amended, varied, supplemented or replaced from time to time, or as provided for in any

agreement between the EU and any third country (whether or not such undertaking is itself granted an

operating licence).

A Non-Qualifying National is any person who is not a Qualifying National in accordance with the

definition above.