Wizz Air eyes wide-ranging EX-YU expansion
Low cost carrier Wizz Air is considering expanding its footprint in the former Yugoslavia in the coming months and has held talks with government representatives and aviation stakeholders in Macedonia, Kosovo and Slovenia in recent weeks. The airline is looking to make up for lost capacity resulting from the war in Ukraine and is putting focus on a number of markets. The carrier is preparing to take part in the Macedonian government’s tender to subsidise the launch of new routes, which it has won on all three previous occasions. Tender procedures are likely to kick off towards the end of next month or early June with Wizz considering flights from Skopje to either Ljubljana or Maribor, as well as a destination on the Croatian coast, Prague and the resumption of some routes previously discontinued by the carrier from the Macedonian capital. New services from Ohrid are also expected.
Commenting on its planned expansion push in the region, Wizz Air’s President, Robert Carey, recently said, “As one of the largest airlines in the region, we have visited a number of cities, such as Pristina, Skopje and Tirana, and held talks with authorities. Part of our job is to add as many new destinations as possible”. As recently reported, Mr Carey said the airline is planning to open a base in Pristina in the near future. “We have been operating out of Pristina for several years. We try to offer the best possible service, new destinations and grow continuously, in cooperation with Pristina Airport and the government”.
Wizz Air is also considering adding more seasonal routes to Split, from which it has grown in recent years with new services having been introduced primarily from the Polish market. This time around the carrier is studying potential new operations from Vilnius and Kaunas in Lithuania to Croatia’s second largest city. “The Balkans are one of our success stories. We will look at new opportunities in the region as long as we are satisfied with the marketplace”, the company said. Apart from new routes, the airline is also looking at poaching experienced pilots from the region to satisfy its growing network and incoming new aircraft.
0 Response to "Wizz Air eyes wide-ranging EX-YU expansion"
Post a Comment