WIZZ Air will open its first bases in Spain this November to herald a major expansion in the country.
The Hungarian-owned budget carrier will open in Valencia on November 2, and at Madrid airport the following day.
The bases will each become home to two Airbus A321neo aircraft.
READ MORE:
- Wizz Air boss tells holidaymakers not to panic as jet fuel shortages ‘won’t ground summer flights’ despite EU warnings
- Wizz Air joins the rush to swoop in on Ryanair’s retreat from Spain with 40 new routes
Valencia will offer 23 routes to eight countries, increasing the airline’s capacity at the airport by 76% to 3.6 million seats.
Madrid will operate 27 routes to 12 countries, boosting capacity by 48% to 4.8 million seats.
The expansion will create more than 150 direct jobs—over 80 at each base—and is expected to generate more than 5,500 indirect jobs.
Wizz Air has already launched a recruitment drive for pilots and cabin crew based in Spain and the expansion comes in contrast to Ryanair cutting back regional services across the country.
Seven new routes will operate out of Valencia domestically, flying to Asturias, Santiago de Compostela, Santander, Bilbao and Palma de Mallorca.
Flights to Bilbao and Palma will be daily.
Overseas services will include a a direct link to Brasov (Romania) with three weekly flights while there will be daily connection to Naples.
One of its most popular routes- to Milan Malpensa- will be doubled to 14 flights per week.
The announcement was welcomed by Valencia City Council, which regards the new investment as reinforces the city’s position as one of the main tourist and economic hubs in the Mediterranean area.
The Madrid base will connect to Asturias, Palma de Mallorca, Santiago de Compostela and Pisa, and there will be a boost to services including London Luton, and Rome Fiumicino.
Wizz Air currently serves 16 Spanish airports with 151 routes to 15 countries and has carried more than 15 million passengers in Spain over the past 22 years.
The airline said the new bases underline its long-term commitment to the Spanish market and support its growth strategy based on the fuel-efficient Airbus A321neo fleet.
Click here to read more Travel News from The Olive Press.
