A long-term investment of over EUR 38 mln, the new facility will provide recurrent training for over 4800 pilots per year
Wizz Air, the most environmentally sustainable airline globally*, has officially opened its newest pilot training centre in Rome Fiumicino Airport, Italy. The state-of-the-art facility will serve as Wizz Air's second training centre, following the success of its initial Budapest location. The centre is poised to provide recurrent training for more than 4,800 pilots each year, a testament to the airline's commitment to the highest safety standards and innovation in aviation.
The grand opening ceremony took place on October 1, 2024, with key speeches delivered by Wizz Air CEO József Váradi, Aeroporti di Roma CEO Marco Troncone, and CAE’s Vice President, EMEA Commercial Aviation James Cahill.
Jozsef Varadi, Wizz Air's CEO, commented: "This new training centre in Rome signifies Wizz Air's commitment to investing in the future of aviation and our employees. Our pilots are at the heart of our operations, and this facility will ensure that they continue to receive the most advanced, rigorous training possible. This investment in Italy, one of the key markets for Wizz Air, where we already have five bases employing over 1000 crew members and over 20 most efficient single aisle aircraft with the best sustainability indicators in its class, further solidifies our long-term presence in the region."
Located within walking distance of Rome Fiumicino Airport’s Terminal 1, the 2,500+ square meter facility includes briefing rooms, theoretical training spaces, and a simulator hall furnished with two ultra-modern CAE Airbus A320 family full-flight simulators, the third to be installed in 2025. These simulators equipped with high-fidelity visuals, an immersive cockpit environment, and realistic flight dynamics will allow over 4,800 pilots to undergo recurrent training annually, supporting Wizz Air’s expanding operations.
Marco Troncone, CEO of Aeroporti di Roma, a Mundys Group company, said, " This new hi-tech training centre, developed within our starred Airport thanks to a significant investment by one of the fastest-growing carriers in Europe, demonstrates the attractiveness of Fiumicino on the aeronautical market as a base for long-term development. This new project, which we hope will also build up new professional opportunities for the territory and its community, perfectly fits into our strategic vision where innovation and the development of human capital represent fundamental cornerstones for achieving sustainable development in the medium and long run”. He emphasized the collaboration between Wizz Air and the local airport infrastructure, and highlighting Rome Fiumicino’s key role as 5-Star Skytrax airport and Best hub in Europe for the 6th time since 2018, according to ACI Europe.
Wizz Air’s new Rome training centre builds on the success of its Budapest facility, which since its opening six years ago has provided over 98,000 flight hours of training. The addition of this new training facility further strengthens Wizz Air’s position as a leader in European aviation, with a strong focus on investment in continuous training and learning for its employees.
*According to CAPA - Centre for Aviation Awards for Excellence 2022-2023
