(Alliance News) - Central & Eastern Europe-focused airline Wizz Air Holdings PLC said Friday it will open four new bases deploying 11 aircraft and launching 51 new routes, with effect from July 1, taking advantage of the gradual lifting of travel restriction that were imposed to combat Covid-19.
One base will be Malpensa airport outside Milan, where Wizz Air will deploy five new aircraft for 20 new routes. The second will be at Larnaca in Cyprus, with two aircraft and 11 new routes.
The third base is set for Lviv, Ukraine, and this will have one aircraft with five new routes. The fourth base will be in Tirana, Albania, where three new aircraft will be based, with 15 new routes launched.
"I am delighted to announce that Wizz Air is expanding its network in Albania, Cyprus, Italy and Ukraine. We see the potential to re-stimulate demand for low-cost travel and contribute to the vital recovery of tourism in these markets. With our new health and safety protocol designed to ensure that our customers and crew can fly safely, we are able to offer more affordable travel opportunities on our extensive network," said Chief Executive Officer Jozsef Varadi.
Airlines around the globe have furloughed or shed thousands of staff in a bid to stay afloat, as the majority of the world's air travel remains restricted to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus.
In early May, Wizz Air reported a 98% fall in April passenger numbers to 78,389 from 3.3 million in April 2019.
More positively at the time, Wizz Air announced five new destinations to Abu Dhabi, with the first flights from Budapest and Bucharest commencing in June 2020, and three additional destinations starting in September. The launch of the company's new low-cost airline Wizz Air Abu Dhabi is progressing in line with the initial timeline, it said.
Shares in Wizz Air were up 1.5% at 3,298.00 pence on Friday in London.
By Dayo Laniyan; dayolaniyan@alliancenews.com
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Wizz Air (WIZZ)
