Not getting home for Easter? Wizz Air passengers stranded in Madrid for nearly 20 hours – UPDATE: Wizz’s response
Dozens of Wizz Air passengers faced a frustrating ordeal in Madrid after their flight to Budapest was delayed for nearly 20 hours, just before the busy Easter weekend.
According to travel blog Utazómajom, the flight, W6 2372, was originally scheduled to depart from Madrid at 8:15 PM on 18 April 2025. However, due to technical issues, the plane was unable to take off. At first, Wizz Air provided hourly updates, but passengers were only informed around 2:00 AM that the flight would not depart until 12:30 PM the following day—16 hours after the scheduled departure.
After retrieving their luggage in the middle of the night, passengers had to make their own way to a hotel provided by the airline. With very little time to rest, the airport transfer returned at 10:30 AM, and travellers had to re-check in and hand over their baggage once again.
Many of those affected included families with small children, who ended up waiting for hours at the airport—some even resting on the terminal floor. According to passenger reports, the only compensation Wizz Air offered during the nearly 20-hour delay was a single EUR 5 food voucher, along with breakfast at the hotel.
The Easter holiday period is one of the busiest times of the year for European air travel, with high passenger volume and near-full flights. Incidents like this highlight the ongoing challenges airlines face in maintaining schedules and customer satisfaction during peak seasons.
Travel blog Utazómajom reached out to Wizz Air for a statement, and said they would update their post if the airline responds. We’ll share any updates as they become available.
UPDATE: Wizz’s response
According to Utazómajom’s update, the flight was originally scheduled to depart at 4:30 PM today, but passengers were informed that they would not be able to return home on this aircraft either. The next departure time is 7:30 PM.
The travel blog also received the airline’s response:
“The aircraft operating Wizz Air’s flight from Budapest to Madrid was struck by lightning en route. The safety of our passengers, crew, and aircraft is always our top priority. After landing, the plane was required to undergo a mandatory inspection, which was delayed due to unforeseen circumstances. In addition, the crew’s strictly regulated duty hours had expired.
Wizz Air notified passengers multiple times using the contact details provided at the time of booking. We also issued meal vouchers on three occasions and offered hotel accommodation, with related travel expenses to be reimbursed afterwards.
As several passengers did not take up the accommodation offer, we would like to emphasise the importance of booking directly through Wizz Air. We can only send updates to the contact information provided in our booking system.
We continue to provide passengers with the latest updates regarding the flight.”
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