Wizz Air

[Sherburnflyer92]

MOL I think hit the nail on the head when he said that they have a mixed approach strategy which doesn't seem to be working one bit. One minute they are going for the hub in Middle East, then they are scrapping it. They have got into LGW and seem to be mixing Leisure routes with Saudi routes.

Rome and Milan they seem to have conquered. Romania and Hungary also. Poland is in the backyard of Ryanair so bit hit and miss though they have Katowice with Ryanair having minimal presence and vice versa for Krakow (mutual respect).

When Ukarine opens back up I bet that'll become a blood bath between Ryanair and Wizz but Wizz had a large presence pre war so probably will restore that back with Growth. Wizz are at an advantage over Ryanair given the 321 delivered. Ryanair are still waiting on the 10 approval by the regulators.

Maybe not in the near future but I foresee Ryanair buying Wizz. Or elements of the Wizz operation.

As for LBA well GDN is up against Ryanair but also up against Jet2 in the most lucrative part of the year (Christmas). Another polish route Ryanair have won however I suspect they'll maintain the frequency. Especially if the yield and revenue is good enough.

 

[gulftraveller]

Add to that the fact that the East European expat worker numbers are declining, particularly Poles, as people find better opportunities back home.

 

[752]

MOL I think hit the nail on the head when he said that they have a mixed approach strategy which doesn't seem to be working one bit. One minute they are going for the hub in Middle East, then they are scrapping it. They have got into LGW and seem to be mixing Leisure routes with Saudi routes.

Rome and Milan they seem to have conquered. Romania and Hungary also. Poland is in the backyard of Ryanair so bit hit and miss though they have Katowice with Ryanair having minimal presence and vice versa for Krakow (mutual respect).

When Ukarine opens back up I bet that'll become a blood bath between Ryanair and Wizz but Wizz had a large presence pre war so probably will restore that back with Growth. Wizz are at an advantage over Ryanair given the 321 delivered. Ryanair are still waiting on the 10 approval by the regulators.

Maybe not in the near future but I foresee Ryanair buying Wizz. Or elements of the Wizz operation.

As for LBA well GDN is up against Ryanair but also up against Jet2 in the most lucrative part of the year (Christmas). Another polish route Ryanair have won however I suspect they'll maintain the frequency. Especially if the yield and revenue is good enough.

Jet2 do not operate LBA-GDN for winter

 

[Severn]

Wizz Air may be closing their only Middle Eastern Base in AUH, but will be opening the following bases over the coming months:
- Suceava, Romania
- Warsaw (Modlin), Poland
- Yerevan, Armenia
- Bratislava, Slovakia
- and reopening their base in Tuzla, Bosnia & Herzegovina.
By summer 2026, Wizz will also base extra aircraft at OTP, TSR, GDN, KTW, KRK, FCO, NAP, LTN, BUD, SOF, SKP, and RMO.

They’re certainly not sizing down, but may be shifting some services from of the UK regional market. Having said that, this winter they’ve added flights from GLA to FCO and MXP as well as from BHX to CRA.

 

[Sherburnflyer92]

Jet2 do not operate LBA-GDN for winter

I stand corrected.

 

[Birmingham Aviation]

Wizz Air may be closing their only Middle Eastern Base in AUH, but will be opening the following bases over the coming months:
- Suceava, Romania
- Warsaw (Modlin), Poland
- Yerevan, Armenia
- Bratislava, Slovakia
- and reopening their base in Tuzla, Bosnia & Herzegovina.
By summer 2026, Wizz will also base extra aircraft at OTP, TSR, GDN, KTW, KRK, FCO, NAP, LTN, BUD, SOF, SKP, and RMO.

They’re certainly not sizing down, but may be shifting some services from of the UK regional market. Having said that, this winter they’ve added flights from GLA to FCO and MXP as well as from BHX to CRA.

Bhx-Cra has been operating since 2019

 

[Aviador]

I believe they also have a new boss who is tasked with offloading poor performing routes.

 

[752]

I believe they also have a new boss who is tasked with offloading poor performing routes.

Whilst adding more poor preforming routes?!?! GLA / BHX to FCO and BGY in winter? Nothing like throwing darts at the dart board! Chaotic if you ask me

 

[GeorgeNTravels]

Whilst adding more poor preforming routes?!?! GLA / BHX to FCO and BGY in winter? Nothing like throwing darts at the dart board! Chaotic if you ask me

Glasgow and Milan are each others largest unserved markets in Western Europe

Visitors from Italy - Visit Scotland - This might help with some insight as to why WIZZ has picked the GLA routes

 

[752]

Glasgow and Milan are each others largest unserved markets in Western Europe

Visitors from Italy - Visit Scotland - This might help with some insight as to why WIZZ has picked the GLA routes

Winter start is always a risk for such flights. Lets see how it gets on / see how much the tickets are being flogged for..

In fact a quick scan of November, the flight chart.. prices look to be rock bottom..

 

[LBAYORKIE]

Another example of Wizz retrenching.

Airways Magazine

🔴 Wizz Air will close its Vienna base after a strategic review, withdrawing Bilbao and London Gatwick flights with two aircraft on 26 October 2025, and ceasing all remaining operations with three...

www.facebook.com

 

[Jerry]

Another example of Wizz retrenching.

Airways Magazine

🔴 Wizz Air will close its Vienna base after a strategic review, withdrawing Bilbao and London Gatwick flights with two aircraft on 26 October 2025, and ceasing all remaining operations with three...

www.facebook.com

Or just doing a Ryanair and opening Bratislava Vienna!

 

[LBAYORKIE]

Or just doing a Ryanair and opening Bratislava Vienna!

Good point, I forgot they were opening a base at Bratislava.

 

[lbaspotter]

Wizz Air’s LBA Winter 2025/26 Schedule

Wizz Air revised Winter 2025/26 scheduled. The Bad news is that Gdansk route has been axed, Good news is that Wizz Air continue to operate up to 9+ weekly flights from Leeds/Bradford on its 3+ Eastern European routes to Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca & Warsaw Chopin. The Schedule has also been revised with the additional Sunday Bucharest service season extended by 2 weeks running from Dec 7th up until Jan 11th and the will be no flights operating on Christmas Day.

WINTER 2025/26
WAW = Warsaw Chopin = 3x weekly (Tue, Thu & Sat)
OTP = Bucharest = 3x weekly (Tue, Thu & Sat) – Additional 4th weekly Sun (Dec 7th to Jan 11th)
CLJ = Cluj-Napoca = 2x weekly (Thu & Sun)

A32N = Airbus A320-NEO
A321 = Airbus A321-200
A21N = Airbus A321-NEO

WZZ = Wizz Air (Hungary)
WMT = Wizz Air (Malta)

Mondays
----------------------------------------------- / -----------------------------------------------
Tuesdays
WZZ1315 = WAW 05:45 – LBA 07:35 / WZZ1316 = LBA 08:10 – WAW 11:40 = A21N 28/10-24/03
WMT3015 = OTP 17:00 – LBA 18:45 / WMT3016 = LBA 19:20 – OTP 00:45* = A321 28/10-24/03
Wednesdays
----------------------------------------------- / -----------------------------------------------
Thursdays (No flights Christmas day)
WMT3313 = CLJ 06:00 – LBA 07:20 / WMT3314 = LBA 07:50 – CLJ 12:50* = A32N 30/10-26/03
WZZ1315 = WAW 05:45 – LBA 07:35 / WZZ1316 = LBA 08:10 – WAW 11:40 = A21N 30/10-26/03
WMT3015 = OTP 06:05 – LBA 07:50 / WMT3016 = LBA 08:25 – OTP 13:50 = A321 30/10-26/03
Saturdays
WZZ1315 = WAW 05:45 – LBA 07:35 / WZZ1316 = LBA 08:10 – WAW 11:40 = A21N 01/11-28/03
WMT3015 = OTP 17:00 – LBA 18:45 / WMT3016 = LBA 19:20 – OTP 00:45* = A321 01/11-28/03
Sundays
WMT3313 = CLJ 05:45 – LBA 07:05 / WMT3314 = LBA 07:35 – CLJ 12:35 = A32N 26/10-22/03
WMT3015 = OTP 14:30 – LBA 16:15 / WMT3016 = LBA 16:50 – OTP 22:15 = A321 07/12-11/01

 

[mdobuk21]

Thursday morning is nice and busy with 3 arrivals

 

[JRP]

Is it 4 routes we have lost since Wizz moved here from Donny?
Did we not have
Wroclaw, Katowice Krakow and Gdansk?
Really disappointing that we have not got any off there back even if they have poorly aircraft
Be interesting what the airport think about this

 

[northsouth]

aggressive competition on these routes by FR is the reason yes it’s disappointing as other posts markets are shrinking

Don’t forget FR start Warsaw Chopin this winter from LBA more competition so will have to see how this goes could be the next one to they withdraw from

 

[Seasider]

I hope they don't make a sudden decision - I'm booked on it 6 November.

 

[northsouth]

Wouldn’t surprise we with all the FR route cuts etc they decide to start cluj napoca from LBA then there will be Competition on all WIZZ routes from LBA

 

[Aviador]

Wouldn’t surprise we with all the FR route cuts etc they decide to start cluj napoca from LBA then there will be Competition on all WIZZ routes from LBA

You have to look at the bigger picture. Wizz has a new boss who has been tasked with offloading loss making routes and turning the airline round. Just because Wizz has dropped routes from LBA doesn't means DSA would have kept them. Things have changed, Ryanair is also trying to muscle in on Wizz routes, not just from LBA but from other airports too which will impact Wizz. All we can do is hope that if Ryanair wins the don't offload the flights if Wizz backs down.