Budget airline Wizz Air is to expand its operations in Italy in 2024, as well as making Bucharest in Romania its largest airport base next year.
The Hungary-based carrier, which has expanded rapidly post-pandemic, said it would launch six new routes from Italy in its summer 2024 schedule as it bases another three Airbus A321neo aircraft at Rome Fiumicino and one extra aircraft at Milan Malpensa.
Wizz’s new routes from Italy will operate from Rome to Berlin, Hamburg, Alicante and Copenhagen, as well as from Milan to Paris Beauvais and Tenerife. As part of its expansion, the airline will also add frequencies on 17 existing routes from Italian airports in 2024.
The expansion in Italy will add 1.5 million seats per year to Wizz’s capacity from this market where it is currently the third largest airline.
Wizz also has big plans for its base in the Romanian capital Bucharest where it will add two A321neo aircraft for summer 2024, taking its total up to 19 aircraft at the airport.
This expansion will allow the carrier to add a new route from Bucharest to Leipzig in Germany and add frequencies on another 21 existing routes.
József Váradi, Wizz Air’s group CEO, said: “This investment in our Romanian operation will turn Bucharest into the single largest operational base of Wizz Air, underlining our dedication to the country by creating new jobs with the company and the sector, stimulating the economy and providing affordable travel choices.”
Other moves by Wizz include adding two new routes from Katowice in Poland to Aqaba in Jordan and Brussels Charleroi, which are both launching in December 2023.
The carrier is also switching its Scottish services from Edinburgh to Glasgow airport in November. Flights from Glasgow will operate to both Budapest and Bucharest twice per week following the move.
Finally, Wizz will increase the number of aircraft based at Tirana in Albania from 11 to 13 from June 2024. This move will include two new routes to Leipzig and Valencia, as well as more services on 15 existing routes from Tirana.
According to the latest figures from European air traffic body Eurocontrol, Wizz Air operated 875 daily flights in September, which makes it the seventh largest airline group in Europe. The carrier is also operating 32 per cent more flights than it did during the corresponding period of 2019.