One year on from publishing its aspirational Flying Towards Net Zero roadmap, Wizz Air, the leading carrier in Central and Eastern Europe, is sharing new insights from a non-representative passenger survey¹ exploring attitudes to air travel, climate change and the aviation sector’s transition.

Aviation remains a critical driver of connectivity and economic activity across Europe, supporting around 86.5 million jobs globally and contributing approximately 3.9% of global GDP². It underpins tourism, trade and regional development. As the sector moves toward long term decarbonisation, balancing the need for accessible mobility with meaningful emissions reductions remains a defining challenge.

Public understanding of aviation’s climate impact remains uneven, underscoring the need for clearer, fact based dialogue. Survey respondents estimated aviation’s share of global CO₂ emissions at 20.9%, compared with current estimates of around 2.5%³. While the sector’s emissions are significant and must be reduced, the gap points to a need for better context around both aviation’s impact and the pathways to decarbonisation.

Demand for air travel continues to reflect structural and societal factors. Among respondents, 40% reported flying three to five times per year, while 35% flew six times or more. Despite growing awareness of climate change, 69% said their flying frequency has not changed in response to environmental concerns. This suggests that geography, affordability and work continue to shape behaviour, raising questions about how emissions can be reduced without significantly constraining access to air travel.

Awareness of aviation’s long‑term decarbonisation pathway is still developing. More than 56% of respondents were unaware of the industry’s Net Zero 2050 ambition, and only 24% both recognised the target and understood what it means in practice. Awareness of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) also remains limited, with 73% unfamiliar with the concept, despite ReFuelEU Aviation and the UK SAF Mandate entering into force from January 2025.

These findings highlight the complexity of aviation’s decarbonisation challenge, much of which sits beyond the passenger’s view. Many of the most impactful measures, including fleet renewal, operational efficiencies and the shift to alternative fuels, happen behind the scenes. As the transition progresses, clearer and more transparent communication will be essential to building understanding and trust.

Flying Towards Net Zero: one year on

Over the past year, Wizz Air has focused on areas where airlines can have the most direct impact. Today, 75% of its fleet comprises Airbus A320neo and A321neo aircraft, which are designed to deliver improved fuel efficiency compared with previous generations. Fleet renewal, alongside ongoing operational efficiency measures across the network, remains central to the airline’s efforts to reduce CO₂ emissions intensity.

Wizz Air is also supporting the uptake of alternative fuels in line with regulatory requirements. The airline is fully compliant with applicable SAF mandates, with sustainable aviation fuel currently accounting for around 2% of total fuel use. While this ensures operational readiness as supply increases, scaling SAF will depend on coordinated progress across fuel producers, aircraft manufacturers, airports and policymakers.

Supported by its young fleet and efficiency focused operating model, Wizz Air reports an emissions intensity of 50.6 g CO₂ per revenue passenger kilometre over the past 12 months, placing it among the lower emitters per passenger kilometre among European peers⁴.

Progress relies on coordination across the aviation ecosystem. Beyond fleet and fuel, Wizz Air works with partners including Gen Phoenix on recycled and circular cabin materials, and Geven on lightweight seating designed to improve efficiency. Investments such as Firefly Green Fuels also support the development of sustainable aviation fuel across the wider supply chain.

Sustainability is also being integrated into customer engagement through Wizz Air’s Customer First Compass, which brings climate considerations alongside affordability, operational reliability and customer experience. This reflects a broader push to improve transparency as the airline progresses its Net Zero roadmap.

Dorottya Durucsko, Head of Sustainability and Government Affairs at Wizz Air: “One year on from launching our aspirational Flying Towards Net Zero roadmap, our focus has been firmly on delivery.”

“We have continued to invest in fleet renewal, with 75% of our aircraft now operating with neo technology. We are using sustainable aviation fuel in line with new mandates and applying fuel efficiency measures across our operations, contributing to an emissions intensity of 50.6 grams of CO₂ per passenger kilometre over the past 12 months.

But aviation cannot decarbonise in isolation. Progress will depend on coordinated action across the wider aviation ecosystem. As solutions begin to scale, clear and transparent communication will be essential, alongside maintaining access to the connectivity aviation provides.”