Wizz Air to reduce Skopje fleet
Wizz Air plans to reduce its Skopje fleet from five to four aircraft as a result of the effects of the coronavirus Covid-19 pandemic and the opening of new bases across the continent. The budget airline has pulled aircraft from a select number of its other bases as well, including Budapest, Warsaw, Cluj, Vilnius and Timisoara. Overall, the airline is shedding some 1.000 jobs across the company, with the airline’s EX-YU bases already having had their headcount reduced. However, despite the cuts, no routes will be suspended from Skopje, with some flights to be operated by out of base aircraft and crew. The airline has already announced plans to launch a new service from Skopje to Salzburg starting July 3. There are currently four Wizz Air aircraft on the ground in Skopje, all of them Airbus A320 jets. They have been operating short flights within Macedonian airspace this week for licensing purposes of its crew, most of which have been grounded for months.
Wizz Air has delayed the resumption of its flights from Skopje and Ohrid until July 1 due to travel restrictions imposed as a result of Covid-19. Both Skopje and Ohrid airports remain closed, with no date set for their reopening. Wizz Air passengers with bookings affected by flight suspensions will be automatically informed via e-mail, in case the customers booked directly via the airline’s or mobile app. A total of 120% of the original fare will automatically be uploaded to the customer’s Wizz account, with the amount to be used in the next 24 months for the purchase of Wizz Air products and services. Passengers can also opt for a cash refund, which will take longer to complete, and will be informed about the necessary steps for a bank transfer or transfer to a bank card in a separate e-mail. In this case, customers will be eligible for only 100% of the original fare. Passengers who made their bookings via travel agencies, including online travel agencies, should get in touch with the company from which they purchased their tickets. Ohrid Airport has been closed since early March, while Skopje shut its doors for commercial traffic on March 18. This Tuesday, the Macedonian government declared a new state of emergency lasting until June 22.
Skopje has been Wizz Air’s biggest and busiest base in the former Yugoslavia. The carrier stationed its fifth aircraft in the city last year with some jets upgraded from the 180-seat A320s to the 230-seat A321s, although this winter saw its entire Skopje-based fleet uniformed to the A320s. During 2019, the airline accounted for over 60% of all passengers from the Macedonian capital. Late last year, the Macedonian government outlined plans to invest 1.7 million euros into the country’s aviation sector during this year. The majority of the funds were to be directed towards Wizz Air for the upkeep of new routes launched in 2019 based on a three-year subsidy agreement.
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