Hungarian ULCC Wizz Air has unveiled plans to increase capacity from bases in Bucharest, Milan, Rome and Tirana, Albania, during the summer 2024 season, stationing an additional eight Airbus A321neo aircraft across the four airports.
The airline has also announced its intention to reshape its Scottish network this winter by returning to Glasgow for the first time since 2020 and end operations from Edinburgh.
The base expansions will see Wizz station two extra aircraft at Bucharest Henri Coanda International Airport (OTP) in Romania’s capital, enabling the launch of one new route to Leipzig, Germany, and increased frequencies on a further 21 existing services. Flights to Leipzig will start on June 4 and be offered 4X-weekly.
The move will increase the number of aircraft at OTP to 19, making it Wizz’s largest operational base. A further 17 aircraft will be stationed at Romanian bases Cluj-Napoca, Craiova, Iasi, Sibiu and Timisoara, and CEO Jozsef Varadi says the airline expects to grow its market share in Romania from 54% to 57% next year as a result of the development.
In Italy, Wizz intends to introduce three more A321neos at Rome Fiumicino (FCO) between March and July, as well as an additional one at Milan Malpensa (MXP). Six new routes will be opened across the two bases, plus frequency growth on 17 more.
Four routes are launching from FCO, flying daily to Berlin and 4X-weekly to Hamburg, Germany, from March 31; 3X-weekly to Alicante, Spain, from April 1; and 5X-weekly to Copenhagen from July 2, rising to daily from September. MXP will gain new daily service to Paris Beauvais Airport from March 31, and a 3X-weekly route to Tenerife, Spain, from July 2.
In Albania, Wizz plans to add two A321neos at Tirana International Airport Nene Tereza (TIA), taking its fleet there to 13 aircraft. Two new 3X-weekly routes will be launched—to Valencia, Spain, from June 1 and Leipzig from Sept. 30—along with frequency increases on 15 existing routes.
Elsewhere, Wizz is making changes to its network in Scotland, confirming plans to return to Glasgow International Airport (GLA) for the first time in more than three years. Two routes that are currently served from Edinburgh Airport (EDI) will switch to GLA in mid-November 2023, meaning that the airline will exit EDI during the winter 2023-24 season.
From Nov. 14, Wizz will serve Hungary’s capital Budapest (BUD) from GLA, with flights to OTP starting three days later. Both routes will be provided twice a week. OAG Schedules Analyser data shows that BUD and OTP were the sole destinations the ULCC planned to serve from EDI this winter.
Other network alterations see Wizz add new flights from Katowice Airport, Poland, to Aqaba Airport (AQJ), Jordan, and Brussels Charleroi (CRL). Service to AQJ starts on Dec. 13 and to CRL the next day. Both will be 2X-weekly.
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