Wizz Air to shut Sarajevo base and terminate nineteen routes
Low cost carrier Wizz Air will close its base at Sarajevo Airport in November, less than a year and a half after initially stationing its first aircraft in Bosnia and Herzegovina’s capital. All routes will be terminated with exception to London Luton and Abu Dhabi. The carrier will shift focus to Tuzla instead, where it faces incoming competition from Ryanair, which will launch services to the city next month. As a result, Wizz will introduce new flights from Tuzla to Eindhoven and will bolster frequencies on services to Basel, Dortmund and Memmingen. This summer, the airline had two jets based in Sarajevo and maintained 21 destinations in eleven countries
In a statement, Wizz Air said, “It is with deep regret that we had to make the difficult but responsible decision to close our base in Sarajevo from November 1, 2022. Passengers with bookings affected by this decision will be contacted by email with advice on all their available options”. The company pointed out that the decision is the result of “the challenging macroeconomic environment”, as well as continuous issues in the supply chain. "After reviewing our current performance, it is important for us to quickly adapt our network to changes in the market and the needs of our customers, in order to remain resilient and competitive. Accordingly, for now, we are focusing on increasing our presence in Bosnia and Herzegovina to Tuzla, and, therefore. we will close our base in Sarajevo”, Wizz added.
Wizz Air launched operations to Bosnia and Herzegovina’s capital after winning a tender organised by Sarajevo Airport which was seeking a low cost carrier to base two aircraft in the city, in return for a number of incentives. Based on the tender conditions, Wizz was eligible for additional discounts in the coming period. The carrier was the only one to apply during the tender process. Sarajevo Airport welcomed a record 1.131.486 passengers during the first three quarters of the year, with 2022 set to become its busiest on record. Much of its growth has been fuelled by Wizz Air.
Pilots and cabin crew stationed in Sarajevo will be given options to move to Tuzla or other neighbouring bases. Wizz Air is suspending a growing number of destinations in the former Yugoslavia this coming winter season, although most are set to be restored next summer. "Despite unprecedented difficulties in the tourism industry in the last two years, Wizz Air remains committed to long-term growth in Bosnia and Herzegovina, creating hundreds of direct jobs, while stimulating the tourism and hospitality sectors. We sincerely apologise to our customers for the inconvenience this decision has caused", Wizz Air concluded. Further details for the airline’s new service from Tuzla to Eindhoven can be viewed here.
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