Wizz Air completed a delivery of protective gear and coronavirus test kits ordered by the Hungarian government from Shanghai to Budapest on Monday.
Wizz Air’s experienced pilots took off with the airline’s state-of-the-art aircraft on March 20th and landed in Shanghai following a 9,000-km flight that took 50 hours to complete, before returning with 11 tons of medical equipment to Budapest.
The extraordinary journey required thorough preparation. The crew made a refuelling stop in the Kazakh capital of Nur-Sultan on the way to China, and two refuelling stops in Irkutsk, Russia and Nur-Sultan on the way back. The successful and safe completion of the journey required four pilots. Upon reaching Shanghai, the aircraft was loaded with 11 tons (85 m3) of cargo and landed safely in Budapest in the morning hours of March 23rd. The mission was carried out with an Airbus A321neo, the airline’s latest and most modern aircraft. The A321neo boosts 15% improved fuel efficiency compared to previous models, enabling longer journeys and reduced emissions with the same amount of fuel.
The Hungarian government is planning further flights in partnership with Wizz Air to deliver medical equipment to Hungary in order to stop the coronavirus outbreak and treat patients.
József Váradi, Wizz Air’s CEO said: “It’s an honour and a privilege that the government of Hungary chose Wizz Air to complete the crucial mission of delivering protective equipment and medical test kits from China vital to the efforts against the coronavirus epidemy. In these tough times, we are doing everything in our power to play our part in the fight against the outbreak. I would like to express my gratitude to all the government officials and my colleagues at Wizz Air that took part in this special mission, working tirelessly to gain the required permits and bring home the equipment in such a timely fashion.”
