Wizz Air plans to introduce 24 new routes from former Yugoslav markets in the coming months despite the airline’s expectations that gradual traffic recovery will occur only in late summer. Despite the new routes, Wizz Air has continued to delay the resumption of a number of services from the region and has reduced frequencies on existing flights as strict travel restrictions continue to be enforced. By late June, the budget airline will open a new base in Sarajevo with the introduction of nine new routes. Furthermore, it will also commence four new services from Belgrade, with one already having been launched, as well six from Split and five from Banja Luka.
The airline is in talks with other airports in the region over potential new flights. Wizz Air forecasts travel demand to pick up across Europe following “a period of good progress of national vaccination plans”. Its CEO, Jozsef Varadi, remains confident the airline will emerge as a long-term winner from the pandemic as others retreat. “Our agility and relentless focus on costs and cash are significant competitive advantages”, Mr Varadi said. However, he noted that while he’s confident there will ultimately be a rebound given pent-up demand, “whether this will happen over the summer or the winter or next spring, we don’t know”.
Wizz Air is launching over 120 new routes this summer across its network. “Our network expansion and the investments we have made in our fleet over the past twelve months ensures we are well placed for a return to normal operations and we are convinced we are now even better positioned to be a structural winner in the European aviation sector”, the CEO noted. He added, “We still intend on being aggressive in targeting market share where opportunities arise and plan to stick with all of our bases. There are no plans to reduce deliveries from Airbus, with 27 new A320-series narrow-bodies due in the next twelve months, though there’s flexibility to return existing jets to lessors or renegotiate terms as contracts expire. Wizz’s 1.6 billion euros of liquidity should last for the approaching three years at current levels of cash burn”, Mr Varadi concluded.
| Route | Launch date |
|---|---|
| Belgrade - Sandefjord | 16.05.2021 |
| Belgrade - Abu Dhabi | 19.05.2021 |
| Sarajevo - Memmingen | 20.05.2021 |
| Sarajevo - Copenhagen | 20.05.2021 |
| Sarajevo - Dortmund | 20.05.2021 |
| Sarajevo - Charleroi | 21.05.2021 |
| Sarajevo - London Luton | 21.05.2021 |
| Sarajevo - Basel | 21.05.2021 |
| Sarajevo - Beauvais | 22.05.2021 |
| Sarajevo - Eindhoven | 23.05.2021 |
| Sarajevo - Gothenburg | 23.05.2021 |
| Banja Luka - Dortmund | 03.06.2021 |
| Split - Oslo | 06.06.2021 |
| Banja Luka - Basel | 06.06.2021 |
| Banja Luka - Stockholm Skavsta | 06.06.2021 |
| Banja Luka - Eindhoven | 07.06.2021 |
| Banja Luka - Malmo | 07.06.2021 |
| Split - Poznan | 11.06.2021 |
| Split - Krakow | 11.06.2021 |
| Belgrade - Heraklion | 12.06.2021 |
| Belgrade - Santorini | 13.06.2021 |
| Split - Lublin | 13.06.2021 |
| Split - Gdansk | 17.06.2021 |
| Split - Wroclaw | 20.06.2021 |
Click on link for details
battle between Ryanair and Wizz air has begun
ReplyDeleteThe question is will Wizz launch ZAG flights.
DeleteI don't think they will. I believe their response to the Ryan base in Zagreb is the Banja Luka expansion no?
DeleteW6 will use the opportunity ZAG airport can offer. Same happened in Vienna. I am pretty sure, they will battle with Ryanair in ZAG. Both will launch several routes, some of them could be the same and after a couple of months, both will clean their portfolio and delete some of the routes or modify the frequencies.
DeleteSo far Wizz was the clear winner in the region with 2 firm bases (BEG, SKP), additional one starting soon (SJJ) and 3 times more capacity compared to Ryanair in 2019 (that ratio went up to 8 times during the pandemic). But Ryanair made an interesting move in the region by announcing Zagreb base, while everyone expected Wizz to do that. Chances for Wizz to fight for ZAG market is very slim, because there's no announcement yet and it has to start flights before the end of June, in case it has any intention to capture some market share at ZAG (otherwise would be left out of that market for a long while).
DeleteSorry I forgot TZL base by Wizz. But it looks like it'll just move the TZL base to SJJ, so not much of change, still 3 firm bases.
DeleteYou forgot the SOF base.
DeleteOnly talking about ex-yu here bro.
DeleteSome people will move from TZL base, but will not be interchangeable, they offered people to transfer to SJJ base from all over the network.
DeleteWizz crew in SJJ & TZL will be interchangeable due to close proximity.
DeleteLet's hope these new routes actually launch
ReplyDeleteWell done Wizz.
ReplyDeleteThis is a huge number of new routes in these circumstances.
ReplyDeleteIt's great to see at least one airline expanding.
DeleteInterestingly it seems they won't fly the newly launched Belgrade-Hamburg route from June until September so they can fly new routes from Belgrade to Heraklion and Santorini.
ReplyDeleteHuh they are really flying Hamburg now and then stopping June till September .. that doesn't make sense why would they not fly in the summer months?
DeleteI'm assuming their calculation is they will make more money to fly to Greek islands during those two months than to Hamburg.
DeleteSeems like the A321 will be operating some of the routes from BEG, according to the seat map when you try to book the flights.
DeleteNo new routes from Skopje and Tuzla bases it seems.
ReplyDeleteTuzla base seems to be contracting. A lot of Wizz crew staff from there are moving to new Sarajevo base.
DeleteHow much is a lot?
DeleteLike more than half?
Issue with Tuzla is that the airport hasn't done a lot of things promised. The airport almost ran out of fuel last week!
DeleteWizz crew in SJJ & TZL will be interchangeable due to close proximity.
DeleteI thought they were building or planning to build new terminator.
DeleteNo, they are building a small atrium
Deletehttps://www.exyuaviation.com/2021/03/tuzla-airport-begins-atrium-project.html
New Skopje routes are announced every three years when Macedonian government launches subsidy tender for them.
DeleteI hope they only subsidize them for new routes. Not established routes anymore.
DeleteAt least they are growing in the region
ReplyDeleteWonder where their biggest growth has been recently.
DeleteProbably BUD, & WAW.
DeleteVaradi was saying how everything will be fantastic months ago.
ReplyDeleteHe is overly optimistic.
DeleteHe's one of those up beat guys. Always paying for drinks for his bros.
Delete^ Hahaha +1
DeleteWizz was sating they will be operating their full schedule by July... 2020!
Delete*stating
DeleteYes, under the premise the health situation would improve.
DeleteWish them all the best!
ReplyDeleteThey're gambling
ReplyDeleteOn what?
Deleteon demand to come back perhaps :D
DeleteLooks like W6 will be winners after the crisis while exyu national airlines and pretty much every flag carrier in Europe will be the losers.
ReplyDeleteThat's a very broad statement.
DeleteThey have rich backers so it's easier.
DeleteWould love to see them expanding their network in Ljubljana!
ReplyDeletethey should first create one
DeleteFor that to happen, Ljubljana would have to approach them with a good deal. Like Sarajevo.
DeleteMaybe they already have.
DeleteLet's hope so
DeleteHope dies last.
DeleteI don't want to be negative but I think most routes announced will be cancelled or delayed.
ReplyDeleteI'm having that feeling as well. But let's wait and see.
DeleteI ja imam taj feeling za osećaj.
DeleteAny chance they might open Osijek?
ReplyDeleteNow that would be a shocker.
DeleteOsijek had some plan to attract LCCs, that's why I ask
Deletehttps://www.exyuaviation.com/2021/02/osijek-airport-issues-public-call-to.html
Now that the CEO has been axed, there may be some chance for that. I still think OSI has a solid chance for attracting LCCs, there's a reasonably large catchment area and state funds that can be used precisely for that.
DeleteMy guess is Wizz will open a base in BNX next.
ReplyDeleteDo they fly to BNX now?
DeleteCheck the table...
Deletetouché
DeleteHow many aircraft do they have at each ex-Yu base now?
ReplyDeleteSkopje has the most, me tinks four.
DeleteSKP had 5 aircraft at it's peak. Now it has 3, but that can change quickly.
DeleteIs there a possibility that Wizz will open a base in Montenegro? Podgorica or Tivat?
ReplyDeleteTIV is too seasonal. But TDG would have a chance.
DeleteDoubt it based on this recent news
Deletehttps://www.exyuaviation.com/2021/03/montenegro-seeks-investigation-into-lcc.html
OMO would be lit.
ReplyDeleteI think Mostar could also fit into their network.
ReplyDeleteI expect that they will again announce bringing 3rd plane back to BEG.
ReplyDeleteIf you open their destination map of their web site you can still see that flights to Portugal, Belgium, Finland which they should have performed with 3rd plane are not deleted. You can't buy tickets for these destinations but as I said they have not been deleted...
Well they already substituted the planned 9 new routes with 5 new ones.
DeleteIf they bring back 3rd plane maybe we could ave 9 + 5 new routes.
DeleteEverything is possible with low frequencies. They could open many routes, but if they serve them 2-3 times per week max.
DeleteCould we see more new routes?
ReplyDeleteI think 25 in total from ex-Yu is quite good.
DeleteThe rate they are going, very likely.
DeleteLet's see if any of these new routes launch.
ReplyDeleteI think SJJ may be delayed because entry into the EU by the end of May won't be allowed considering the disaster with the EU's vaccine rollout, virus spread, 800th lockdown etc
DeleteIt's interesting that only 3 ex-Yu markets are part of their expansion this year.
ReplyDeleteAn indication of which markets they believe will have healthy demand in next few months.
DeleteOr an indication of where they got subventions, and discounts. Where their bullying tactics worked.
DeleteI'm surprised how many flights they plan on operating all things considered.
ReplyDeleteI doubt the sluggish demand will improve by the end of summer either. More likely at the start of summer 2022.
ReplyDeleteThe big problem with all of Wizz's biggest markets in ex-Yu is that they are outside of the EU and that people can't enter the EU.
ReplyDeleteA big problem is that half of the markets they fly to in the west are under lockdown!
DeleteThe German style or even French style of lockdown is incomparable with the Balkan lockdowns you had in March/April of last year.
DeleteAs far as I can see, they seem to be planning to restore all routes once things calm down.
ReplyDeleteWith low costs relying on subsidies from airports and governments, I feel that there will be many routes, not just ex-yu, that will not return.
DeleteMore to come
ReplyDeleteWhere? BEG?
DeleteNow Croatia and Tradeair will have a problem if Raynair or Wizz star to fly PSO city pars.
ReplyDeleteThis is true and I am certain this is one of the reasons the Croatian government has not started a new tender for PSO routes. Original 4 year PSO contract March 2020 but the government keeps temporarily extending the old contract. There is no other explanation why it hasn't started tendering process which takes up to 6 months (from launch of tender until contracts are signed). So I'm highly doubtful there will be a tender this year at all.
Delete^ It might be the reason for it now but actually the reason they didn't start tendering process in middle of 2019 (when they were supposed to so the new contracts could come into effect in March 2020) was because of Adria. Adria was still around and I have on good authority that they announced to the Croatian civil aviation agency that they would apply for PSO routes in Croatia. They had a bunch of Saabs they were barely using at the time. So the government in its absolute madness to protect Croatia Airlines' 10 million euro annual subsidy on domestic flights tried to delay the process as much as possible. Adria went bankrupt but then came corona and it was the perfect excuse not to start tender (even though many European countries are normally tendering for PSO routes throughout the Covid pandemic which may last for years).
DeleteSarajevo finally will go good.
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteWhat is with Viena-Podgorica ?
ReplyDeleteWhat yous mean?
DeleteWizzair had flight Wien-Podgorica. Is it planned again and since when?
ReplyDeleteCould be a one off.
DeleteThere was a Wizz flight tonight: BUD - VIE .
It wasn't a one off. They launched the flights last summer and suspended them after just a few flights. Route is supposed to resume on 5th of June.
Delete