At the Hungarian low-cost airline Wizz Air, flight attendants at the Vienna base are currently suffering from extremely low incomes due to a lack of flight hours. Since the carrier currently only carries out one round trip per week, many stewards and stewardesses only receive the low basic salary, which is 755,71 euros (gross) for the juniors.

The salary scheme at Wizz Air provides that cabin crew, depending on their classification, receive a comparatively very low basic salary. On-top there is a remuneration that is called "Sector Payment" within the company. Employees receive a commission for sales made on board. In normal times, the Viennese Wizz Air flight attendants don't get dream wages, but neither do they get any “bad” wages at the end of the month. The fact that the largest part of the purchase is performance-dependent now turns out to be extremely disadvantageous for the Viennese Wizz-Air staff.

As a result, the monthly wages that are paid out for junior flight attendants are around EUR 755,71 gross. The social security contributions are deducted from this, so that around 641,45 euros net are transferred. The sum can vary slightly up and down, depending on the individual case, which may arise for legal reasons.

The result is that the financial situation of some Wizz Air flight attendants at the Vienna base is currently extremely tense. With just over 600 euros per month, it is difficult to make ends meet when you consider that this also includes rent and fixed costs.

The airline Wizz Air confirmed to Aviation Direct that the flight personnel stationed in Vienna currently only receive the basic salary. However, one emphasizes that one tries to make possible as many flight hours as possible, which are then paid for. The carrier also confirmed that the crews will be offered unpaid vacations. According to a spokesman, these could be used voluntarily. Otherwise, the basic salary is paid according to the contract. When asked why no short-time work was registered for the Wizz Air base in Vienna, the media officer replied: “We have developed a model that is the same across the network. In many countries there is no short-time work. Since we offer employees the same options - unpaid vacation or basic salary - across the network, it is not an option for us. We try to give our crews as many flying hours as possible ”.

Union: "Wizz Air diverts the entrepreneurial risk almost entirely on the employees"

Incidentally, short-time work would not mean an improvement for the flight attendants at the Wizz-Air base in Vienna, but even a financial deterioration. This has to do with the fact that short-time work only takes the basic salary into account, because the variable salary components are not included in short-time work. Furthermore, the short-time work allowance is lower than the regular salary. At Austrian Airlines, too, this puts flight attendants in particular, who also receive a combination of fixed salary and flight hour allowance, under financial pressure. The Vida union has repeatedly warned of the problem over the past few years and now sees its fears confirmed.

"Apparently, Wizz Air has followed an example from Laudamotion / Ryanair by paying such starvation wages," said Daniel Liebhart, chairman for aviation in the union, appalled to Aviation Direct. "Especially in the Corona crisis it becomes clear again how great the imbalance is in the salaries of the flying staff of various airlines. The entrepreneurial risk is almost entirely passed on to the employees. In Austria this situation can only be counteracted with an industry collective agreement for flight personnel. This would apply to all airlines that station flight personnel in Austria and would then also include lost-cost carriers such as Wizz Air. "

Wizz Air pays extremely low basic wages

But how much does a Wizz Air flight attendant actually earn? That depends primarily on the classification. The Hungarian carrier differentiates between Junior Cabin Attendant, Cabin Attendant and Senior Cabin Attendant. The gross annual basic salaries are shown in the table below and include the special payments for Christmas and vacation pay:

The basic annual salary shown above is guaranteed for flight attendants at the Wizzair base in Vienna even if they are not in the air for a single hour. All flight hours are paid according to a so-called "sector pay" system. This is shown in the table below:

In an interview with Aviation Direct, Wizz Air emphasized that it is aware of the current difficult situation and hopes that as many flight attendants as possible will stay with the company. In contrast to the first lockdown, this time the Vienna base does not want to issue any dismissals.

Affected flight attendants report unpaid “compulsory vacations” - carriers denied

Some flight attendants at the Wizz Air base in Vienna also accused Aviation Direct that the company would force them to take unpaid vacations for days or even weeks. As already mentioned: A spokesman says that this would be offered to the employees, but if they did not want it, the regular basic salary would be paid. The descriptions of those affected allow the at least not unfounded assumption that the voluntariness highlighted by Wizz Air could not be entirely voluntary after all.

A spokesman for the low-cost airline is confronted with the following position: “Wizz Air rejects the allegations and states that none of its employees are forced to take unpaid leave. Due to the current situation in the aviation industry, which is severely restricted by the various travel restrictions imposed by various countries, there are significantly fewer flights than expected in the winter season. Wizz Air is committed to the continued employment of all of its employees. The employees receive their basic salary and, as far as the flight schedule allows, the possibility of flights. For employees who are not satisfied with this, Wizz Air offers the opportunity to take unpaid leave during the winter season so that they can pursue a temporary job until the summer season. As one of the most stable airlines in the industry, Wizz Air anticipates that capacity will already be 45 percent during the holiday season and expects even higher capacity for summer 2021. Wizz Air would like to repeat once again that all employees of the airline's base in Vienna will after Austrian labor law are engaged in employment contracts. Employees are encouraged to stay with the airline and every employee - below the senior level - will receive a bonus this year in recognition of management for the incredible work they have all done this year to make Wizz Air such a great airline close. This year's bonus is in addition to the Christmas and vacation pay 2020 for crew members employed in Austria. In accordance with local regulations, Christmas and holiday pay will also be paid out in 2021. Wizz Air is convinced that, due to its agile approach, its ULCC business model and its fantastic colleagues, Wizz Air will emerge as a winner of this crisis and, like in 2020, will also outperform other airlines in the years to come ”.