While many airlines are cutting routes and jobs during the global COVID-19 pandemic, some airlines are taking alternative actions. Across the world, low-cost and ultra-low-cost carriers have been attempting to take advantage of changing times. Wizz Air is one of those airlines, having announced numerous expansions over the past few months. 

Since April of this year, the airline has announced seven new bases and over 200 new routes. The carrier has also announced a new subsidiary in Wizz Air Abu Dhabi. The airline’s most recent announcement includes expansion in England and Latvia.

Significant English Expansion

The Budapest-based airline announced the opening of its second operating base in England starting in October. Doncaster Sheffield Airport will see seven new routes added, along with the addition of a singular based Airbus A320. 

All flights will be operated by Wizz Air UK, a subsidiary of Wizz Air. Wizz Air UK already operates 10 routes out of Doncaster Sheffield Airport, bringing the total to 17. Wizz Air UK operates its main England base out of London Luton Airport.

In a press release, Owain Jones, Managing Director of Wizz Air UK, said, “The creation of our second base in the UK is a major milestone for Wizz Air UK, and a testament to both our long term commitment to serving the UK market and the strength of the Wizz Air business model.” 

New destinations from Doncaster Sheffield are focused around holiday and leisure locations. The list of new routes includes Alicante, Spain; Malaga, Spain; Larnaca, Cyprus and Faro, Portugal. The other three destinations are located in Eastern Europe, with Lublin, Poland; Kosice, Slovakia and Suceava, Romania. All flights begin between Oct. 22 and Oct. 25 and will be operated either two or three times weekly.

Wizz Air utilizes the A320 on its European routes (Photo: Wizz Air)

Growth of Riga Base

Wizz Air also announced the expansion of its Riga, Latvia base. As with the carrier’s expansion in England, there will be seven new routes from Riga. Along with new routes from Latvia’s capital the airline announced an additional Airbus A320 will be based in Riga. 

New routes will operate from Riga to Bergen, Norway; Birmingham, England; Billund, Denmark; Hamburg, Germany; Reykjavik, Iceland and Trondheim, Norway. The carrier will also operate flights from Riga to Stockholm Skavsta Airport, located roughly 100 kilometers away from Stockholm.

Flights will begin on dates ranging from Oct. 15 to Oct. 18. Along with the new Riga routes, Wizz Air announced the start of flights from Tallinn, Estonia to Bergen, Norway. This route will start operating on Oct. 15. 

George Michalopoulos, Chief Commercial Officer of Wizz Air, said, “We are confident that Wizz Air’s ultra-low fares and great route network will make travel affordable to ever more passengers and contribute to the ramp-up of Latvia’s tourism sector.”

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