Wizz Air’s Legal Turbulence

Last year, a Romanian court ruled in favor of a group of dismissed pilots, members of FPU Romania, finding that Wizz Air had failed to follow proper collective dismissal procedures under Romanian labor law. Another ruling, this time from the country’s Anti-Discrimination Council, determined that the airline had disproportionately laid off Italian nationals based in Romania, a decision upheld in recent weeks by the Bucharest Court of Appeal.

For Wizz Air, these legal setbacks are the latest in a string of courtroom defeats spanning nearly a decade, exposing an ongoing battle between the ultra-low-cost airline and labor unions. From Romania and Bulgaria to Norway and the UK, the company has gained a reputation for aggressive anti-union tactics, firing of union-affiliated employees, and a reluctance to comply with court orders.

“For some of the affected pilots, the ruling doesn’t bring back their jobs. But it does bring validation and proof that their dismissal wasn’t just unfortunate but it was wrong, illegal, unjustified,” says Mircea Constantin, FPU Romania Secretary General, who was at the forefront of the legal support for some of the pilots. The union provided pro bono support and assistance to some pilots and cabin crew who decided to go to court.

A pattern of union suppression

This is not the first time Wizz Air has been accused of targeting employees who attempt to organize. In 2014, the airline dismissed 19 Romanian workers shortly after they had formed a union. A lengthy legal battle ensued, culminating in a Supreme Court decision that found Wizz Air guilty of union-busting. The airline was fined, but the financial penalty – approximately €5,000 – was a mere fraction of Wizz air’s billion-dollar net worth. 

In the years since, Wizz Air has continued to resist unionization efforts. In 2020, it dismissed four union leaders in Ukraine just three months after they had formed a labor group. A year later, in 2021, the company informed Italian authorities that it intended to operate in the country without engaging with unions, a move that drew sharp criticism from labor organizations.

In Norway, Wizz Air faced widespread backlash from politicians and the public due to its refusal to engage in collective bargaining. Mounting pressure and boycott campaigns ultimately forced the airline to exit the market.

Fighting back: small unions, big impact

Despite Wizz Air’s efforts to suppress union activity, grassroots organizations and legal teams across Europe have steadily chipped away at the airline’s stance. FPU Romania, a small but determined union, representing pilots & cabin crew, has been at the forefront of this resistance, taking the airline to court over dismissals, discrimination, and various other violations of labor laws. Currently FPU Romania estimates that Wizz air is close to its fourth conviction by the Romanian Supreme Court. Another ongoing case includes a cabin crew dismissed after reporting toxic fume events on flights to both the company and the relevant authorities. FPU Romania also found itself in Budapest’s courtroom after Wizz Air sued the association for alleged copyright infringement. The verdict? A loss for Wizz, which was ordered to cover the legal costs.

In Hungary, a group of employees has taken the company to court over the incorrect payment of annual leave for the last 15 years, inspired by similar cases in Bulgaria and Romania. With proceedings underway, a first decision is expected soon.

In Bulgaria, employees have won several important court cases on pay and working conditions. The rulings confirmed that paid leave must be calculated based on full gross earnings, in line with EU regulations. They also secured additional paid vacation days, had temporary contracts declared illegal, and won extra per diems for international flights.

“No pilot or cabin crew member starts a job thinking they’ll one day have to fight their employer in court,” said Costel Gîlcă and Bianca Mircea, the legal team behind FPU Romania’s recent court victories. “But when a company like Wizz Air refuses to sit down with its own employees and negotiate collectively, legal action becomes the only path to justice. These battles have been hard-won, and we’re proud to stand with Romanian pilots and cabin crew who are finally being seen, heard, and treated with the same respect as their peers at other airlines across Europe.”

These legal battles have forced Wizz Air into the courtroom time and time again, with Romanian and European courts ruling against the airline on multiple occasions. Yet, the company continues to appeal decisions, dragging out cases in a strategy that labor experts say is designed to exhaust plaintiffs and delay financial consequences.

“By the time an employee wins in court, they’ve often already moved on to another job,” said Mircea Constantin, FPU Romania Secretary General. “The legal process is slow, and for a company of Wizz Air’s size, the fines are negligible. But we will continue to fight back. And in some cases, the court decisions have already led to significant improvements to crew pay and contracts.”

Financial and Reputational Consequences

While Wizz Air’s courtroom strategy may be delaying accountability, it has not gone unnoticed. In 2022, Danish pension fund AkademikerPension announced that it was divesting from the airline due to concerns over labor rights abuses. The $23 billion fund was among 14 investors that had urged Wizz Air to allow employees to form and join trade unions.

Wizz Air also ranks poorly in worker satisfaction surveys. In a 2024 ranking of 50 European airlines by pilots, the company placed 44th, earning the label of “Social Misfit” for its perceived lack of appreciation for staff. The airline ranked lower than Ryanair, another budget airline with a history of labor disputes.

Source: Social Rating, 2024

“It is still unbelievable that in 2024, in Europe, you get threatened by your CEO if you want to get into unions. It’s unbelievable that everyone fears to refuse flying with Captain’s discretion*. Authorities should dig more into Wizz air and finally put an end to modern day aviation slavery,” says an anonymous pilot who contributed to the 2024 survey.

What comes next?

With an appeal still pending before Romania’s Supreme Court, Wizz Air could face yet another legal defeat. But whether these rulings will lead to meaningful change remains uncertain. While pilots and cabin crew have won important legal battles, the slow judicial process and relatively minor financial penalties mean the airline has little incentive to change its practices.

For now, the pattern remains clear: Wizz Air continues to lose in court.