UKRAINE: Wizz Air Starts Five New Routes from Ukraine

Wizz Air today announced that it will further expand its operations in Ukraine by adding a fourth Airbus A320 aircraft at its Kyiv base in March 2019, launching five long-awaited routes from Kyiv and Lviv airports and increasing the number of tickets offered with over 45% next year.

The new routes announced will operate from Kyiv to Breman, Billund and Riga and from Lviv to Copenhagen and Frankfurt Hahn and travelers can already book their tickets from just EUR 24.99 / UAH 759.

Today, Wizz Air also releases its 2019 summer schedule from Kyiv airport.

For the next two weeks the fares for the summer season, including the new routes will be exclusively available to WIZZ Discount Club members only, while from 13 September 2018, they will become available to everyone.

The new connections together with the weekly frequency increase on the popular service Kyiv- Lisbon are part of WIZZ’s 2018 summer schedule from Kyiv.

Wizz Air Routes From Ukraine

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AUSTRIA: Wizz Air Starts Base At Vienna Airport

Wizz Air opened its Austrian base at Vienna Airport. The low-cost-carrier deployed one of its new Airbus A320 aircraft to the new base and will soon start of operations of five new services from Vienna to the popular destinations: Valencia, Rome Fiumicino, Malta, Bari and Tel Aviv.

The base establishment at Vienna represents a major investment in Austria by WIZZ, creating more than 200 direct jobs with the airline by 2019.

With a total investment of $ 570 million, in the upcoming 9 months the airline will continue to increase its operations at Vienna International Airport to become the second largest carrier in Austria in 2019 with a local fleet of 5 new Airbus aircraft.

Operating a network of 30 routes from Vienna to 22 countries and offering in total more than 2.2 million seats/ year.

Expanding its operations, Wizz Air’s local team in Vienna will continuously increase, the next recruitment sessions being scheduled on 21 June in Vienna.

We are proud to celebrate the opening of a new WIZZ base in Austria at Vienna Airport.

Wizz Air’s first flights from Vienna started in April and, now we are inaugurating another 5 new services said George Michalopoulos, Chief Commercial Officer at Wizz Air at a press conference in Vienna.

By 2019, our new base operations at Vienna will create more than 200 local jobs with WIZZ and the new destinations added to the network mean even greater choice for WIZZ’s Austrian passengers to discover Europe at truly low fares through a network of 30 routes to 22 countries, he says.

This year Wizz Air is substantial adding impetus to growth at Vienna Airport. The new base and the wide network with up to 30 bookable destinations from Vienna by 2019 strengthen the role of Vienna as a flight hub and generate value creation.

Above all, the diverse flight offering to Eastern Europe as well as to Central European and vacation destinations provide attractive travel options to business travellers and holidaymakers.

Cities such as Eindhoven, Danzig, Tuzla, Cluj, Valencia, Kutaissi, Ohrid, Niz, Billund, Bergen, Kharkiv and Malmo are completely new destinations that can be reached from Vienna thanks to Wizz Air, says Julian Jager, Joint CEO and COO of Flughafen Wien AG.

WIZZ is the pioneer of a new travel era in Austria, bringing truly affordable fares and services, maximum choice for its customers and an easy online booking system.

Wizz Air will finally allow Austrian customers to travel to a wide range of destinations at genuinely low prices, with Wizz Air’s great value flights including some exciting and off-the-beaten-track destinations and offering the possibility of truly memorable experiences.

With currently more than 33 flights departing from Vienna every week, the airline offers fares from as little as 19.99 EUR on wizzair.com to Austrian passengers and their visitors.


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KAZAKHSTAN: Almaty And Astana Are Leading Airports, Air Astana Is Dominant Airline

Kazakhstan is a member of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).

According to the United Nations DESA / Population Division, the country’s population increased by about 14% from 2008 to 2017, rising from 16.0 million to 18.2 million.

The capacity available on domestic and international flights serving the nation has been keeping pace.

There were nearly 6.50 million seats available on all domestic and international flights serving Kazakhstan in 2008.

Like many markets around the world, Kazakhstan saw a cut in available seats in 2009 as the global recession took hold, but since then, the CIS member has enjoyed a strong return to form and a significant expansion of capacity on commercial air services.

By 2011, capacity had recovered to, and exceeded, the levels set in 2008. Seat numbers have increased from 6.32 million in 2010 to 12.83 million in 2017, meaning the market has doubled in size in less than a decade.

The average capacity on flights serving Kazakhstan decreased slightly from 128 in 2008, to 126 in 2017.

On domestic links, the average capacity dropped from 112 to 109 seats from 2008 to 2017, but international services experienced an increase from 144 to 147 seats-per-flight over the same period.

International flights still account for more than half of all seats in the Kazakhstan market, despite domestic services enjoying stronger year-on-year percentage growth across all but one of the past six years.

International services accounted for 53% of all two-way seats in 2017, down from 55% in 2008.

From 2008 to 2017, domestic seat numbers have more than doubled from 2.91 to 6.09 million, while international capacity increased by 88% from 3.58 to 6.74 million seats.

Kazakhstan’s flag carrier Air Astana dominates air services in its home country, accounting for 49% of all available seats in 2017.

Almaty-based operator currently has a fleet of 31 aircraft including E190s, A319s, A320s, A321s, 757s and 767-300s.

It was the leading provider of both domestic and international seats in its home market last year.

Air Astana accounted for 52% of domestic capacity and 46% of available international seats in 2017.

In total, four of the top 12 carriers from 2017 were Kazakhstan-based operators, while another three were from Russia, with two from Turkey and one each from Germany, Ukraine and the UAE.

Bek Air deployed the largest increase in seats amongst the top 12 airlines in this market in 2017.

The Kazakhstani carrier operates a fleet of seven Fokker 100s, more than trebled its capacity from 2016 to 2017, offering more than 1.00 million seats, mainly on domestic services.

Bek Air increased capacity on existing links but also added new nodes to its network, including a connection between Almaty and Shymkent.

Other carriers to see strong growth included Atlasglobal and flydubai which increased their available seats to and from Kazakhstan by 82% and 62% respectively.

Two carriers experienced cuts on Kazakhstan services, with Ukraine International Airlines witnessing the largest reduction of 15%.

Lufthansa is operating between Almaty and Astana, but these are triangular services connecting Kazakhstan’s largest airports with Frankfurt, and the German carrier does not sell seats on these domestic flights.

Even if this capacity is removed from Lufthansa’s total, it would still be the tenth largest seat provider serving Kazakhstan.

A notable new entrant to the Kazakhstan market in 2017 was Wizz Air, which launched services from Budapest to Astana.

Almaty and Astana are the largest departure points in Kazakhstan, having accounted for more than two-thirds of all departing seats from the country’s airport’s last year, with the former topping the table.

Air Astana operates a significant network of domestic and international routes from both facilities, although Almaty remains its largest base.

All of the top 12 airports in Kazakhstan experienced an increase in departing seats from 2016 to 2017 with the strongest growth coming at Uralsk, Kyzylorda and Shymkent, which witnessed respective increases of 66%, 34% and 31%.

Uralsk benefited from capacity increases on existing services by SCAT Airlines, Bek Air and Qazaq Air.

Given their prominence as the leading airports in Kazakhstan, it is not surprising that the top domestic route links Astana to Almaty.

One-way capacity from the capital city to the country’s largest airport increased by more than 13% from 2016 to 2017, exceeding 930,000 seats last year.

In all, nine of the ten largest domestic airport pairs serve either Astana or Almaty.

The one exception is the link between Aktau and Atyrau, which supported just under 100,000 seats in each direction in 2017, making it the seventh largest domestic service.

Russia was the leading international market from Kazakhstan in 2017, accounting for nearly one-third of all departing seats on international services.

The top two international routes in 2017 were the links between Moscow Sheremetyevo and Almaty and Astana.

Both airport pairs experienced a healthy 5.0% increase in seats from 2016 to 2017.

The countries making up the top 12 international markets from Kazakhstan remained the same from 2016 to 2017, but there were some ranking changes.

China experienced the strongest growth in departing international seats during this period and overtook the UAE to become the third largest market.

The 22% increase in seats to China was a result of capacity increases on existing services by Air Astana and China Southern Airlines, plus the introduction of Air China’s link to Beijing, which launched in June 2017.

Turkey maintained its position as the second largest international market from Kazakhstan following a 20% increase in seats.

31 new links were launched across all airports in Kazakhstan during 2017, 10 of which were domestic. SCAT Airlines launched the most of these services, commencing operations on 13.

The Kazakhstani carrier has already announced an additional new route for 2018, with plans to commence operations between Astana and Vilnius from 27 May.

The only other new Kazakhstan air services announced for 2018 so far are links from Novosibirsk to Pavlodar with S7 Airlines and from Moscow Sheremetyevo to Kyzylorda with Aeroflot.


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WizzAir Makes 22% Increase In Profits

Wizz Air, presented its 2018 financial results for last year’s run.

The airline details a 22.1% increase in profit to a record €275 million.

Revenue also increased by nearly a quarter to €1,948 million, with ticket revenues rising to 23.7% to €1,132 million.

Ancillary revenue like seating selection, baggage fees, and other extras—also improved by nearly a quarter up to €816 million, representing 42% of the group’s total revenue.

The 2018 financial year was another year of investment and driving efficiencies in Wizz Air’s operations as we continue to our mission to become Europe’s undisputed airline cost leader, CEO, Jozsef Varadi emphasized.

This relentless focus on cost means we continue to stimulate the market through the lowest fares, resulting in record passenger numbers of almost 30 million – up 25 percent year on year, Jozsef Varadi said.

Such rapid growth can be attributed to the airline’s ability to offer more seats on routes that were performing well.

The airline, in fact, is offering up to 35% more seats since its new A321ceo planes joined the fleet.

WizzAir’s fleet also expanded to a total of 93 aircraft, consisting of 67 A320ceos and 26 A321ceos.

Varadi noted that brand-new A320neos will become one of the airline’s strongest foundations, as the plane will allow them to increase their focus on costs.

This plane will allow Wizz Air to continue to drive profitable growth and achieve one of the best profit margins of all European airlines, stressed the CEO.

The LCC has ordered 146 additional Airbus A320neo family aircraft over the course of this year, securing the airline’s growth, at least until 2026.

Foreseeing potential hiccups with Brexit, WizzAir has established a UK AOC to ensure that they can continue to operate in and out of the country.

Jozsef Varadi is optimistic for the year ahead even though the political landscape and higher fuel prices might continue to work as a headwind.

Our ability to drive cost advantage further and offer lower fares across our ever-expanding network will lead to an expected 20% increase in passenger numbers to 36 million in 2019, CEO Jozsef Varadi.

Wizz Air seems to be well on its way to becoming a leading player in the European landscape.

With more aircraft joining the fleet, as well as the opening of new routes, WizzAir is continuing with its low-cost model.

The airline strives to provide a service comparable to Ryanair’s, but with a little more convenience, at an affordable price.


Tourism Observer

UNITED KINGDOM: Wizz Air UK Starts Flights From London To Bucharest

Wizz Air UK Limited, headquartered at London Luton airport, has announced being granted an Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC) and Operating Licence (OL) by the United Kingdom’s Civil Aviation Authority.

Wizz Air UK began operations on 3rd May with its first flight from London to Bucharest.

In the statement the airline highlighted that Wizz Air UK is set to operate 8 brand new Airbus A320 and Airbus A321 aircraft by the end of 2018.

This is an USD 860 million investment which will provide management, pilots and cabin crew with 300 new jobs at Wizz Air UK.

Jozsef Varadi, Chief Executive Officer at Wizz Air emphasized that Wizz Air UK operating license is a great achievement not only for the airline, but it also marks the start of a new era in air travel in the United Kingdom.

The airline is determined to gain advantage from Wizz Air UK as it is a key part of its Brexit contingency plan and also is the first genuine ultra-low cost carrier licensed in the UK.

Therefore, the CEO of the company said that the airline’s continued expansion will mean additional investment and jobs in the UK as we build on our current position as the 8 largest airline operating in the UK.

Everyone in the WIZZ team is delighted to see operations begin under the Wizz Air UK flag, as we bring ever more low fare opportunities to our UK customers to explore our network of exciting destinations from the UK.


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ROMANIA: Wizz Air To Commence Budapest To Berlin Flights 13th march 2018

Wizz Air announced a new route from Budapest to Berlin-Schoenefeld. Commencing on 13 March, the newest low-cost WIZZ service will be operated daily.

Seats on the route are already on sale and can be booked on wizzair.com or via the WIZZ mobile app from just HUF 2,990*, which includes a free hand luggage allowance of up to 55x40x23cm maximum dimensions.

Berlin, the capital of Germany and the country's largest city, is a major center of politics, culture, media, and science.

It is best known for its internationalism and tolerance, lively nightlife, plenty of sites of historical interest, rich cultural heritage, and numerous world-class museums including those centered around Museum Island, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The convenient daily schedule of Wizz Air’s new route allows for short city breaks or business trips as well as longer visits to explore Berlin and the beautiful Brandenburg region.

Today’s announcement follows the commencement of 11 new Budapest routes in 2017. The airline will launch three more Budapest services this year connecting the Hungarian capital with Bordeaux, Agadir and Frankfurt, while flights to Stavanger and Basel will commence in spring 2018.

Together with Berlin, starting from 2017 Wizz Air is adding a total of 17 exciting destinations to its Budapest network, which now consists of 67 low-fare routes.

Being the hometown airline of Hungary, Wizz Air currently operates flights from two Hungarian bases in Budapest and Debrecen with a total of 12 aircraft in the country, and two more aircraft to join the Budapest fleet in 2018, increasing the capacity on routes from Hungary to 5,5 million seats.

In the past 12 months, more than 4 million passengers flew with WIZZ to and from Hungary, which represents a 17% growth year over year.

WIZZ now offers 74 routes from its two Hungarian airports.

WIZZ AIR’S NEWEST ROUTE FROM BUDAPEST

Destination - Berlin-Schoenefeld

Days - Daily

Starting date - 13 March 2018

Fares from - HUF 2,990

Gabor Vasarhelyi, Corporate Communications Manager at Wizz Air, said: 2017 has been the year of massive expansion for WIZZ in Budapest with the announcement and commencement of long-awaited routes to attractive destinations across Europe and beyond.

Today we are delighted to announce the addition of another exciting city to our ever-growing Hungarian network: Berlin is now available on our low fares from Budapest and, operating daily, we are sure this service will be popular among both business and leisure travelers.

We recommend all savvy customers to book the lowest fares quickly on wizzair.com or via the WIZZ mobile app and enjoy a memorable WIZZ trip to one of the most popular capitals of Europe!

*one-way, including taxes and non-optional charges



Tourism Observer

UNITED KINGDOM: BAA Training For 650 New Pilots

BAA Training, one of the largest aviation training centres in Northern Europe, announces that more than 650 future pilots will enrol on BAA Training’s Ab Initio programmes until the end of 2021.

Recently, BAA Training has launched five new cadet programmes. Partnership agreements to support future talents were signed with Wizz Air, Lao Skyway, Small Planet Airlines, SmartLynx Airlines and Vietnam Airlines.

The list of partners is expected to extend to at least three more as contracts are about to-be-singed soon.

In 2017, the number of students at BAA Training has increased sharply: those enrolling on Ab Initio programmes almost doubled compared to the previous year.

To respond to the increasing demand and growing capacities, we have started delivering practical training at two more locations in Lithuania.

In addition to S. Darius and S. Girenas aerodrome in Kaunas, we provide flight training at Istra and Kyviskes aerodromes located in Panevezys and Vilnius,” comments Egle Vaitkeviciute, CEO of BAA Training.

BAA Training has developed and implemented new standardization, as well as training programmes for instructors.

This novelty assists us in meeting the record-high training demand. Keeping high training standards is our top priority even during times like now, when the demand for flight training is at absolute peak,” adds E. Vaitkeviciute.

Despite the current record figures, the numbers are expected to elevate even stronger in a five-year period.

E. Vaitkeviciute explains that cadet programmes are becoming increasingly popular among carriers because of more flexible training solutions and possibility to select strong, as well as motivated candidates.

Moreover, students willing to become pilots perceive these programmes as an opportunity to enter aviation job market with more ease: in case training is successful, cadet programmes translate into the guaranteed workplace.

BAA Training plays an important role by ensuring both parties receive services that meet expectations.

We are further strengthening our capabilities across cadet programmes by closely cooperating with our clients. The requirements for quality and more advanced training solutions are increasing, therefore, we regularly collect feedback and improve quality, as well as scope of services provided for both airlines and future pilots. We constantly adapt training programmes to the individual needs of both,” marks E. Vaitkeviciute.

Currently, BAA Training offers a total of 11 different Ab Initio training programmes. Three of which are customized cadet programmes that regularly take place when new group of international students is formed.



Tourism Observer

ITALY: Government Will Not Save Alitalia

Alitalia’s staff rejecting a last minute restructuring bid to keep the airline afloat, has not only pushed the European airline to begin bankruptcy proceedings for the second time in a decade, but has also put Abu Dhabi-based Etihad’s European future in question.

Etihad paid €560 million for its 49 percent stake in Alitalia in 2014, the largest individual share of companies invested in the airline, and part of a larger €1.76 billion deal to recapitalise and restructure the company.

At its shareholder meeting on Thursday, the airline has indicated it will stick to its stated position: no more funds to prop up Italy’s struggling national airline.

Staff at the struggling airline are hoping for government intervention.

But Italy has said it will refuse to in and save the company by nationalising it.

And it isn’t hard to imagine that Alitalia going under will have a much bigger affect on Etihad’s business than it will on Italy’s economy, thus putting more pressure on the UAE’s national airline to act to save its investment.

Etihad is invested via equity in Alitalia, Airberlin, Jet Airways, Air Serbia, Air Seychelles, and Virgin Australia.

But it is its European investments are its biggest source of concern.

With Air Serbia, Etihad invested $200 million in 2013 for a 49 percent stake and management rights for five years.

Air Serbia has managed to eke out profits that have grown to one percent of revenue over the last two years. But its profits come from a market where it is unimpeded from the threat of much low cost competition.

According to the Centre for Aviation, low cost carrier Wizz Air, with much smaller unit costs of operation, is beginning to make an entry in the Balkans which could increase the level of competition Air Serbia is currently facing.

Meanwhile, Etihad’s investment in Airberlin has yet to bear fruit.

Etihad has invested into the company four times since 2011, from raising its ownership from 2.99 percent to 29.21 percent, to buying the European carrier’s frequent flyer program for €70 million, all of its Austrian operations NIKI, as well as putting up €300 million in bonds.

Yet despite its shrink to survive strategy, the haemorraging airline reported a loss lost year that had widened 16 percent to €447 million from 2014.

Earlier this year, long time foe, Lufthansa, became a saviour of sorts when it announced a $100 million multi-faceted agreement with Etihad to streamline its European business and wet-lease 38 aircraft from Airberlin’s Niki for its Eurowings subsidiary.

The deal will help stem some of the loss that is expected to bear in on Airberlin’s results which will come out..

It has been suggested Etihad’s European debacle is what prompted the shakeup that will lead to CEO James Hogan and CFO James Rigney’s departure come the summer.

The airline is also speaking with turnaround specialist Christoph Mueller, who revived Ireland’s troubled Aer Lingus before moving on to bringing back Malaysian Airlines a year after two crashes crippled its business.

If Mueller is appointed, he will work with a new airline equity investment chief, Robin Kamark, to help draft a new strategy to save its European carrier business, after the previous appointee departed for personal reasons.



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Wizz To Have A Fleet Of 120 By 2020, Cathay Pacific Disappointing Says CEO

Low-cost operator Wizz Air expects to have 15% more aircraft in its fleet by March 2020 than it had indicated a year ago.

The airline’s latest fleet schedule, disclosed during its first-quarter results presentation, shows it will have a fleet of 120 aircraft by the end of the 2019-20 fiscal year.

This figure is a substantial increase on the 104 aircraft – equally split between Airbus A320s and A321s – listed in the fleet plan in July last year. Wizz Air says it expects to receive 13 new aircraft, including 10 A321s, in the current fiscal year.

Chief executive Jozsef Varadi says this will give the airline 26 A321s, accounting for a third of the carrier’s planned seat capacity.

He says this will give the airline a “clear cost advantage” against most of its rivals. The airline recently opted to order another 10 A321s.

Wizz will take 15 A321s, including its first three A321neos, in 2018-19, and the expansion will continue with 20 A321s – all but three of them A321neos – over 2019-20.

Cathay Pacific chief executive Rupert Hogg says the airline’s operating performance during the first half of the year was “disappointing” due to the challenging competitive environment.

“When we announced our results for 2016 in March, we said we expected the operating environment in 2017 to remain challenging. This has been the case,” says Hogg in Cathay’s June traffic statement, which also covered the operations of its Cathay Dragon regional unit.

“Our airlines’ performance in the first half of 2017 continued to be disappointing. In particular, strong competition from other airlines put intense and increasing pressure on passenger yield and revenue.”

In the six months to the end of June, Cathay’s group ASKs increased by 1.1%, while RPKs climbed 1.4% despite passengers carried falling 0.5% to 17.2 million. Load factor climbed a marginal 0.2 points to 84.7%.

Passenger yield continues to come under pressure in the face of strong competition. The overall load factor remains high, with front-end traffic showing a pick-up, although the back-end, particularly on short-haul routes, has been sluggish, says Cathay’s general manager of revenue management Navin Chellaram.

Cargo and mail tonnage however jumped 11.5%, against a 2.3% capacity increase and an 8.9% climb in RTKs. That saw freight load factor rise four points to 66.2%

The airline adds that the two Boeing 747-8 Freighters wet-leased from Atlas Air are operating at full capacity and generating good revenues on North American routes. It expects the air freight market to remain strong.



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Blue Air Orders Six 737 MAXs And Lease Six 737 MAXs And Six 737-800s From Air Lease Corp

Romanian low-cost carrier, Blue Air, announced an order for six 737 MAX jets (variant unspecified though likely 737 MAX 8) Tuesday at the Paris Air Show.

In addition, Blue Air will also lease six 737 MAXs and six 737-800s from Air Lease Corp (ALC), adding to an existing order book of 3 737-800s.

Delivery of the MAX aircraft from Air Lease will begin in 2019 and continue until 2021 while the used 737-800s,formally with Pegasus Airlines will be delivered beginning in May 2017 and be fully delivered by year’s end.

Three of the six 737-800s from ALC are already operating for Blue Air.

Our many years of partnership with Boeing and operating the 737 has resulted in unmatched operational reliability, a leading safety record and an increase in passenger numbers that has enabled Blue Air to grow into the leading airline airline in Romania, said Gheorghe Racaru, general manager of Blue Air.

The 737 MAX will help shape the future of Blue Air, allowing us to fly to new, further destination whilst continuing to keep our fares low for our passengers due to the incredible efficiencies of the airplane.

We are delighted to announce Blue Air as Romania’s first 737 MAX customer, said Monty Oliver, vice president, European Sales, Boeing Commercial Airplanes.

The 737 MAX is ideally suited to Blue Air and the market it serves, increasing revenue potential all with improved operating efficiencies.

Blue Air currently operates an all-Boeing fleet of 29 737 aircraft, including 17 737 Classic jets (2 737-300s, 9 737-400s, and 6 737-500s). It also operates 1 737-700 and 11 737-800s.

Founded in Bucharest in 2004, Blue Air has grown its operations across Eastern and Southern Europe in the decade since.

Its business is mostly concentrated in its home country of Romania, and its largest base is located at Bucharest’s Henri Coanda International Airport, though it has bases in Romania, Italy, the United Kingdom and Cyprus.

In 2016, Blue Air became the largest airline in Romania by scheduled passengers flown, with its 3.6 million representing a tripling of volume since 2008.

At Bucharest, it is technically the second largest carrier behind Eastern European ULCC powerhouse Wizz Air and comes in just ahead of Romanian flag carrier TAROM.

It also has a secondary hub at Turin Airport in Italy and tertiary hubs at several smaller Romanian airports, Liverpool in the United Kingdom, and Larnaca in Cyprus.

The growth of Wizz Air in recent years across Eastern and Central European hubs like Budapest, Bucharest, and Skopje (amongst many others) has sucked much of the oxygen out of the room for pretty much any carrier other than Ryanair (which dwarfs Wizz Air by itself).

Smaller niche players like CSeries launch customer airBaltic and Blue Air do appear to be finding some success, however (both carriers are profitable), which bodes well for competition in the region.

HUNGARY: Wizz Air To Commence Timisoara To Tel Aviv Flights starting October 30

Hungarian low-cost airline Wizz Air will introduce a new flight between Timisoara and Tel Aviv starting October 30, this year. The flights will have a frequency of twice a week, on Mondays and Fridays.

“Supplementing direct flights from Timisoara shows that the regional business and tourism environment is more and more active and that the citizens’ standard of living in the region is increasing,” said Daniel Idolu, director of the “Traian Vuia” airport in Timisoara.

He added that the region of Banat, which includes Timisoara, has historical ties to Israel through the Jewish community. These ties can be developed because of these direct flights.

Timisoara will thus have 23 direct flights, and Tel Aviv will be the first route outside Europe, which is directly available from Timisoara.

Wizz Air is the biggest air carrier in Romania. It recorded an advance of 34% (or 300,000 people) in the number of passengers transported to and from Romanian airports in the first three months of this year compared to the same period last year, reaching 1.45 million.

GERMANY: Traffic At Nuremberg Airport Grows 23%

The city of Nuremberg is home to a population of over 500,000 people, an important industrial centre with a strong standing in the markets of Central and Eastern Europe. With a strong manufacturing prowess, items made in the area around the city include electrical equipment, mechanical and optical products, and printed materials.

The city is also strong in the fields of automation, energy and medical technology, with one of the city’s biggest employers being Siemens. Nestled in the northern part of Bavaria, the city is served by Nuremberg Airport, the tenth largest airport in Germany which last year welcomed just under 3.5 million passengers.

The airport has had many successes during the past year, including the opening of a new Ryanair base, and the team being highly commended at this year’s Routes Europe Marketing Awards in Belfast.

Nuremberg Airport has had an exceptional start to 2017, with Q1 traffic up 23% when compared to the same three-month period of 2016. Passenger figures for January were up 22%, while February indicated a 25% rise and March 23%.

Looking at the international and domestic markets, the former welcomed a 37% increase in traffic during Q1, while the latter showed a more modest 3% rise, highlighting that international expansion is the driving force behind Nuremberg’s impressive growth.

According to ADV monthly statistics, the average growth during the first quarter of 2017 across Germany’s leading airports was 4.5%, showing that Nuremberg is well above the national average.

With the airport’s exciting growth comes the news that it is Germany’s fastest-growing top 10 airport for Q1, with only Berlin Schonefeld (sixth largest airport; 16% growth in Q1 2017) and Düsseldorf (third; 13%) also registering double-digit growth. If Nuremberg’s growth pattern continues throughout 2017, then it should welcome around 4.2 million passengers this calendar year.

When taking Nuremberg’s 2016 monthly passenger statistics and placing them in anna.aero’s Seasonal Variation in Demand calculator (SVID) it performs well, generating a score of 5.48 – a “Good” rating. This is an improvement from the 6.26 also good that it scored for its 2015 monthly statistics.

What this indicates is that with Nuremberg’s impressive traffic growth, the impact has not damaged its seasonality. In fact with the seasonality profile of the airport being reduced, even with more traffic, shows that Nuremberg has demand for year-round services, not just summer seasonal ones when the airport is at its peak.

Since Ryanair opened its base at Nuremberg in October 2016, it now has two 737-800s stationed at the Bavarian airport and as a result it has grown to become Nuremberg’s largest airline. In total the ULCC occupies 18% of weekly departing seat capacity this summer, with its own individual seat capacity growing by over 420%, a result of the based aircraft.

Last year the airline occupied 4.4% of weekly seat capacity during summer. In the past year the airline has opened flights to Bari, Budapest, Madrid, Manchester, Milan Bergamo, Palermo, Porto, Rome Ciampino and Verona from Nuremberg. In total the airline will offer 58 weekly flights from the city during S17.

Wednesdays and Sundays are the busiest of the week with nine flights each, while the rest of the week sees eight daily departures. Looking ahead to W17/18, the most significant route that Ryanair will open from Nuremberg is Krakow, the first connection to be offered between the Polish and German sister cities, and Nuremberg’s first direct flight to Poland.

Ryanair will also connect Nuremberg to Vilnius from the end of October.

The most recent carrier to join the airline roll call at Nuremberg is bmi regional which began flights from Birmingham on 8 May, a route which will operate six times weekly and which anna.aero was fortune to attend the launch of.

In total, weekly seat capacity this summer from Nuremberg has risen by nearly 32% when analysed with S16 data.
Antalya is fastest-growing route for Nuremberg in S17

With SunExpress increasing its seat offering between Nuremberg and Antalya by 128% during the past 12 months, the Turkish resort is the fastest-growing top 12 route from the German airport this summer. It is followed by London Stansted which has seen its capacity increase by over 71%, the result of Ryanair increasing its frequency to 12 times weekly (twice-daily Mondays to Fridays) from daily on the route to the UK capital.

The leading route from Nuremberg this summer is Palma de Mallorca, a title it holds on to from S16 despite a 8.5% drop in capacity.

Looking at OAG schedules for this summer, Nuremberg will have direct flights to 58 destinations (w/c 13 June 2017), an increase of 15 when compared to the same week of 2016.

Along with the new routes to Krakow and Vilnius being launched by Ryanair, other services that are to be introduced from Nuremberg during the remainder of 2017 include Adana, Athens, Dalaman, Reykjavik/Keflavik and Tel Aviv with Germania, with the latter two being the airport’s first flights to Iceland and Israel.

Finally Wizz Air, which has grown its seat capacity from Nuremberg by 122% since last summer, will begin services from Kiev Zhuliany in August.

Looking ahead to the rest of 2017, one of the most significant route launches from Nuremberg is to Tel Aviv, a sector that will be inaugurated by Germania in November.

Along with Tel Aviv, Germania will also add Reykjavik/Keflavik to its Nuremberg schedule from June, becoming the German airport’s first flights to Israel and Iceland.

Other important route launches from Nuremberg in 2017 include Krakow and Vilnius with Ryanair, and Wizz Air adding Kiev Zhulyany flights.

HUNGARY: Activities At Budapest Airport

Having already confirmed 22 new routes during 2017, Budapest Airport’s largest airline will be significantly expanding its own operations from the Hungarian gateway this year. Adding 12 new links, the ultra-low-cost carrier (ULCC) will offer 62 destinations from Hungary’s capital city airport, offering close to 4.5 million seats from Budapest throughout the year.

Launching the start of Budapest’s summer schedule, Wizz Air commenced its twice-weekly service to Faro on 1 April. Now offering 122,000 seats during S17 to Portugal, Budapest has witnessed a 140% increase in Portuguese services during the last twelve months. The ULCC faces no direct competition on its new service to the Algarve region as the link joins its existing operations to Lisbon and Porto.

Continuing to support the development of its home-base, Wizz Air has launched another two new services today. Reinstating Budapest’s direct link to Hannover with a four times weekly service, the new operation will satisfy the high volume of indirect traffic recorded from the region. The ULCC has also commenced its first direct flight to Norway from Hungary, starting its twice-weekly service to Bergen after increasing numbers of Hungarian travellers chose a Norwegian city break last year.

Later this week Budapest will welcome Wizz Air’s connection to Lamezia Terme. Seeing a rapid increase in the popularity of Italy as a leisure destination, the ULCC’s operation commencing 12 April, will be Budapest’s first direct link to the Italian city in the Calabria region.

Jost Lammers, CEO, Budapest Airport said: “The launch of Wizz Air’s latest links is a significant step in re-establishing good connections between Hungary and important economic destinations in the Balkan Peninsula. Working closely with Wizz Air we have ensured Budapest’s accessibility in the region, as well as further improving business relations between the countries.”

He added: “Wizz Air carried 3.3 million passengers on its Budapest routes last year and now, along with its latest additions to our network map, we look forward to ensuring the continued growth of
one of our largest airline partner’s services.”

Facing no direct competition on any of the routes, Budapest’s home-based carrier has launched twice-weekly services to each of the five Balkan Peninsula destinations seeing the Hungarian capital city grow its scheduled route network to 41 countries non-stop this summer.

Just days into S17, Budapest Airport has announced further expansion of its destination map, filling the white spot that was Kazakhstan. Confirming a twice-weekly service to Astana, Wizz Air will be linking the two capital cities from 8 June, utilizing the carrier’s fleet of 180-seat A320s on the 3,742 kilometer sector.

As Kazakhstan becomes Budapest’s 45th country market, the Central Asian operation means Wizz Air will now offer flights to 29 countries from its home-base. As the world’s youngest capital city, Astana can now be reached from Budapest in less than five hours as the ultra-low-cost-carrier’s (ULCC) direct link omits the previous need for connections via Istanbul, Prague or Minsk. Facing no direct competition on the airport pair, the ULCC’s new Kazakhstan connection joins the Hungarian gateway’s existing links in the region to Georgia, Ukraine and Azerbaijan.

“Filling another gap on our route map is proof of our continued commitment to be able to offer our passengers an ever-expanding selection of great destinations,” comments Balázs Bogáts, Head of Airline Development, Budapest Airport. “Wizz Air’s confirmation of Thursday and Sunday flights is perfect for a long weekend break for Hungarian and Kazakh travelers alike,” adds Bogáts.

Budapest Airport has announced further development in its expanding summer schedule with another welcome frequency increase on Air Canada rouge’s link to Toronto Pearson. Announcing just last November that the Canadian leisure carrier would be expanding its existing three times weekly operation from 19 May, three weeks earlier than 2016, the airline has confirmed the frequency will now be doubled during the peak season, commencing a six times weekly service from 21 June.

Experiencing a highly successful first year of operation, Air Canada rouge’s additional seasonal connections will mean Budapest’s weekly Canadian capacity will increase by another 20%, seeing an extra 7,300 seats to Canada during high summer. The airline’s additional services throughout S17 will give Air Canada rouge a 50% year-on-year capacity increase.

Commenting on the frequency increase, Jost Lammers, CEO, Budapest Airport, says: “Being able to announce yet more capacity on our Canadian link, and still less than a year after welcoming the Air Canada brand into our portfolio, is a great sign of the significant success the airline has experienced with us.” He added: “We continue to commit ourselves to offering a series of North American connections, in both business and leisure sectors, and these extra services will satisfy real demand.”

KAZAKHSTAN: Visa Requirements Lifted For European Union, OECD Countries,Malaysia, Monaco, UAE,Singapore

Kazakhstan has lifted visa requirements for citizens of the European Union, OECD countries and a number of other states as part of efforts to boost investment and tourism.

The measure adopted earlier by neighboring Uzbekistan comes as Kazakhstan as Central Asia’s largest economy has been battered by low oil prices and financial distress in neighboring Russia.

According to Kazakhstan’s foreign ministry, since the beginning of 2017, citizens of EU and OECD countries, as well as Malaysia, Monaco, the United Arab Emirates and Singapore, could travel to Kazakhstan for up to 30 days without a visa.

In a statement, the ministry said the initiative was meant to promote an even more favorable investment climate and develop the country’s tourism potential.

The move will open up additional opportunities to the business community for cooperation with the outside world and facilitate international contacts in different spheres, the statement said.

Kazakhstan’s landscape is dotted with mountains, lakes and desert, and the glitzy capital Astana is home to futuristic architecture.

Back in December, neighboring Uzbekistan announced plans to roll back its highly restrictive tourism regime by canceling visa requirements for 15 countries.

In addition, Budapest Airport has announced further expansion of its destination map, filling the white spot that was Kazakhstan.

Confirming a twice-weekly service to Astana, Wizz Air will be linking the two capital cities from 8 June, utilizing the carrier’s fleet of 180-seat A320s on the 3,742 kilometer sector.

As Kazakhstan becomes Budapest’s 45th country market, the Central Asian operation means Wizz Air will now offer flights to 29 countries from its home-base.

As the world’s youngest capital city, Astana can now be reached from Budapest in less than five hours as the ultra-low-cost-carrier’s (ULCC) direct link omits the previous need for connections via Istanbul, Prague or Minsk.

Facing no direct competition on the airport pair, the ULCC’s new Kazakhstan connection joins the Hungarian gateway’s existing links in the region to Georgia, Ukraine and Azerbaijan.

Filling another gap on our route map is proof of our continued commitment to be able to offer our passengers an ever-expanding selection of great destinations, comments Balazs Bogats, Head of Airline Development, Budapest Airport.

Wizz Air’s confirmation of Thursday and Sunday flights is perfect for a long weekend break for Hungarian and Kazakh travelers alike,adds Bogats.

UKRAINE: Ryanair To Fly From Ukraine

Ryanair is going to Ukraine.

The Irish low-cost carrier (LCC) has officially announced the launching of flights to two Ukrainian cities, Kyiv (Boryspil Airport) and Lviv, in October 2017.

From Kyiv, Ryanair will operate to London, Manchester, Eindhoven, and Stockholm (Skavsta Airport). The airline expects to carry around 250,000 passengers annually on its 15 weekly flights from Boryspil to all four destinations.

“Last week our airport presented a discount offer to all carriers,” Boryspil General Director Pavlo Ryabikin commented. “We are offering 75% discounts to all airlines for launching new destinations.

Three out of Ryanair's four flights are automatically covered by these discounts. We will now have to complete a lot of negotiations on the technical aspects of this.”

Ryabikin added that at the moment, the only document outlining the terms and conditions of Ryanair operations to Ukraine is a letter of intent signed between the airline and the Ukrainian Infrastructure Ministry.

The final contract between the airport and the carrier has yet to be signed.

Ryanair’s route network from Lviv, which operates in the open skies mode, will be even broader: the carrier will fly to Wroclaw, Warsaw, Berlin, Memmingen, Budapest, London, and Eindhoven. The cumulative traffic on these routes is forecast at 260,000 passengers annually, Ukrainian daily Segodnya reports.

Lviv Airport General Director Tetyana Romanovska confirmed having receved an offer from Ryanair in June 2016. She was not prepared to comment on the LCC's planned fares: “However, for us to support this carrier's flights we need to think of ways to compensate the costs of the airport services.

We are currently discussing this issue with the Infrastructure Ministry, and are considering developing landside revenue activities, such as shops, restaurants, and parking services.”

Ukraine will become the 34th country in Ryanair's route network. According to Infrastructure Minister Volodymyr Omelyan, the country's authorities have been making attempts to attract the low-cost carrier since 2011.

The Ukrainian air travel market is actively recovering, and the government is working to bring more low-cost airlines to it.

Although the lack of an open skies agreement with the EU is hindering the process, the ministry is drafting a program of preferences and discounts for budget carriers.

Wizz Air, Ryanair's direct competitor (especially on the Central and East European markets), is already present in Ukraine.

It flies to Kyiv's Zhulyany, whose chairman of the board, Denys Kostrzhevskyy, says the Hungarian LCC is the largest traffic generator for that airport.

Ryanair was initially supposed to fly from Zhulyany as well, but changed its plans eventually.

Wizz Air used to operate to Lviv and is planning to return to that city in April, initially flying to Wroclaw. The LCC will launch a service between Lviv and Berlin Shoenefeld on June 18.

The two carriers will come to compete directly on these routes eventually.

Ryanair is gradually increasing its presence in Eastern Europe and driving Wizz Air out.

The Irish LCC has announced plans to become the leader on the Central and East European air travel market by 2018.

Wizz Air last year opened a base at Kutaisi, Georgia.

Several Georgian media outlets have reported recently that Ryanair is planning to launch flights to the country, after the code of Tbilisi airport appeared on the airline's destination list.

The assumption was supported by Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili following his meeting with Ryanair COO David O'Brien.

A Ryanair spokesperson replied to Russian Aviation Insider's formal query that the airline “does not comment on rumors and assumptions”.

MOLDOVA: Air Moldova Expands With Another Embraer E190,Wizz Air Opens Presence In Moldova

Air Moldova has taken delivery of another Embraer E190 regional jet. The aircraft with the seating capacity for 140 passengers was ferried to Air Moldova’s base airport in Chisinau on November 20, the carrier announced. In line with the carrier’s strategy the aircraft should enable the airline to launch flights to new destinations. Its first flight will be from Moldovan capital to Rome.

With this aircraft, Air Moldova’s fleet now has three Embraer E190s. The latest addition is the aircraft produced in 2009 and previously operated by Lufthansa and Turkish BoraJet. According to open sources the aircraft is a long-range (LR) modification and has tail number ER-ECD.

Notably, Air Moldova is among the world’s leading operators of ERJ190 by flight hours. In August 2016 it demonstrated the best results in terms of operating rate. The average monthly flight hours increased almost 80% compared to July, to 15.18 flight hours per day.

Air Moldova currently operates seven aircraft. Besides the three Embraer E190LRs the airline flies an Airbus A321, two A320s and one A319. The carrier’s route network features over 25 destinations, including Greece, Turkey, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Ireland, Germany, the Great Britain and Portugal. It two destinations in Russia are St. Petersburg and Moscow, and a route to Krasnodar is expected to open next year.

Last year Air Moldova’s passenger traffic for the first time exceeded 1 million passengers. Suspension of air connection between Russia and Ukraine greatly contributed to the carrier’s traffic growth.

Hungarian low-cost carrier Wizz Air will launch a new base at Chisinau Airport, Moldova, from March 2017. The airline has recently opened a base in Kutaisi, Georgia, and is looking into strengthening its presence in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet republics further on.

The airline announces Chisinau will be its 26th base while Moldova will become the 14th country where Wizz Air performs base operations.

The flights from Chisinau will be operated by a single narrow-body A320. Starting from March 2017 the airline will launch two new twice-weekly services to Berlin Schoenefeld and Barcelona.

Considering these new destinations, Wizz Air’s route network from Chisinau will consist of seven routes to four countries.

The company will also increase frequencies on existing routes to Bologna and Venice from two to three and from three to four weekly flights correspondingly.

Wizz Air plans to invest 98 million dollars in the new Chisinau base and hire 36 people as crew members.

Within the post-Soviet area the Hungarian low-cost company performs base operations from Kutaisi (Georgia), Kyev (Ukraine), Vilnus (Lithuania) and Riga (Latvia).

MOLDOVA: Chisinau Airport Passenger Traffic Grew 25 per cent Last Year

Moldova’s increasingly popular Chisinau main gateway airport is enjoying a much-needed renovation boost, despite fears of alleged corrupt ownership practices at the airport, which is being managed under a controversial 49-year government concession contract.

The substantial renovation work follows on from some significant performance improvements at the airport over the last five years, so that 15 carriers now operate scheduled services from Chisinau airport (IATA code: KIV) to 38 destinations in 17 countries.

Six new carriers were attracted during 2015 and early 2016: LOT Polish Airlines, Ural Airlines (Russia), VIM Airlines (Russia), Volotea (Spain), Aegean Airlines (Greece), and Fly One (Moldova).

Newly introduced destinations include Parma, Florence, Brussels, and Russia's Voronezh. Frequencies were increased on several existing routes.

Moldova is a country of modest means, and whilst it is currently on the cusp of both the pro-Russia and pro-EU development opportunities, the nation is especially interested in the fortunes of its hard-currency-earning aviation enterprise – and developing Chisinau airport is viewed as a top priority.

Economically, the country has not been doing particularly well of late: it ranks 131st in the world by purchasing power parity, and among all the post-Soviet states, only Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan fare worse.

Hence the government's keen interest in the future of the country's main air gateway, which saw passenger numbers double from 1.04 million in 2011 to 2.22 million in 2015.

One particular indication of that growing potential is Hungarian carrier Wizz Air’s plan to start using it as its base in the spring of 2017.

Against this positive backdrop, and somewhat controversially, the airport is operated by Avia Invest, a Russian-controlled company which, in November 2013, was handed ‘ownership’ of the airport in an exclusive 49-year concession.

According to the airport's 2014 corporate statement, Avia Invest was initially co-founded by Russia's Kolomna Plant, which manufacturers railway rolling stock and is part of locomotive manufacturer Transmashholding.

The other co-founder was Khabarovsk airport, also located in Russia.

It was later reported that Kolomna Plant had ceded its share in Avia Invest, and that Khabarovsk airport's share in the company had been cut from 50 to five per cent.

The new proprietor of 95 per cent of the shares in Avia Invest is Russian firm Komaksavia, owned by British entity TB Team Management LLP and registered at the same address as businessman Konstantin Basyuk Komaks’ managing company, the same Komaks which runs Russia’s Khabarovsk airport.

The convoluted ownership of Avia Invest has prompted Moldovan media outlets to describe the concession deal as highly suspicious, and a number of local politicians and state officials have been calling for the contract to be cancelled or reviewed.

Critics include Maia Sandu, a pro-European candidate at the latest presidential election, who insists that the concession agreement is in breach of the law, going on to describe it as part of “the fraud of the century” (also pointing the finger at an allegedly illegal withdrawal of $1 billion from the Moldovan banking system).

Sandu says these are part of a “shady deal” about which the current government is refusing to provide detailed information.

Avia Invest’s managers dismiss all these claims as populism: “The airport's concession deal was the right and necessary step.

In all the 24 years of the country's independence, only around $10-12 million had been invested in the development of this strategic facility, whereas Avia Invest, in just under two years, has already invested four times more,” says an official statement.

Moldovan journalists remain sceptical as to the agreement's benefits to the country, though. They point to the fact that Avia Invest's annual financial performance figures, including its revenues and taxes paid to the state, are not available on the company’s website.

The only information accessible is in the form of press releases, which do not provide a full and clear understanding of the airport's financial state and the sums invested to date.

The airport's passenger traffic in 2015 grew 25 per cent year-on-year and 68 per cent up on 2013.

The improvements are attributable, it is said, from Moldova having joined the Single European Sky initiative in 2012, and by the lifting of the short-visit EU visa requirement for Moldovan citizens in 2014.

Avia Invest insists that the ongoing project to modernise and develop Chisinau is already appreciated by passengers.

The airport's throughput capacity has been increased from 420 to 750 passengers per hour, the check-in area has been expanded two-fold to 1,100 square metres – and there are now 18 check-in counters and six passport control desks, served by 12 border guards.

A new baggage processing system has been installed, as well as ultramodern lighting and improved air conditioning.

As part of the modernisation, the airside area has been expanded by 900 square metres and fully renovated. “We increased the number of boarding gates and security checkpoints, which additionally improved the airport's throughput capacity,” says Avia Invest, which adds that it has also fully overhauled all the networks and systems supporting the terminal operation.

The most spacious multi-storied car park in the country, a four-level facility for 800 vehicles, has been erected opposite the airport terminal.

Avia Invest has also been working to improve the airfield infrastructure, a project which embraces the comprehensive renovation of more than 500,000 square metres of airfield area, including the single 3,590 m by 45 m runway, as well as taxiways and apron areas.

Avia Invest believes the renovation and development scheme, in combination with an effective new strategy for attracting additional airlines, are helping the airport to start offering new routes and increase the frequencies of existing services.

POLAND: Wizz Air Commences 2 New Poland Flights

Wizz Air today announced further expansion of its route network from Poland. From 1 November Wizz Air will start operating a new route from Wroclaw to the capital of Ukraine, Kyiv with two weekly flights, while from 14 January a new weekly WIZZ service will connect Gdansk with Grenoble in France. Tickets one the new routes starting at EUR 19.99 / PLN 79.

The newest WIZZ services connect Poland with such exciting destinations as Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, Reykjavik in Iceland, Porto in Portugal or Alghero on the island of Sardinia.

Gabor Vasarhelyi, Communications Manager at Wizz Air said: “Following the recent celebration of the 45 millionth Poland WIZZ passenger, we are thrilled to deliver again great news to our Polish customers. Our low fares now connect Wroclaw with the capital and largest city of Ukraine, Kyiv and Gdansk with the ‘capital of the Alps’, Grenoble, and we are sure these services will be as popular as the other 131 in our ever growing Poland route network. Seats on the newest WIZZ routes are already on sale from just PLN 79 / EUR 19.99 at wizzair.com. Our friendly Polish crew looks forward to welcoming you on board a WIZZ flight with a smile!”

ROMANIA: Wizz Air Commences Flights From Bucharest

Wizz Air today announced two new routes from Bucharest to Hanover and Billund commencing on 13 and 16 of December with two weekly frequencies on Tuesdays and Saturdays and Mondays and Fridays respectively. Seats on the new routes are already on sale and can be booked on wizzair.com from only RON 109.

Already the largest airline in Romania, Wizz Air will grow its fleet to 20 aircraft in the country by the end of 2016, and will have a total of nine airports out of which seven are operating bases served by the young WIZZ fleet. Wizz Air currently offers 118 routes, fares on many starting at RON 39, from nine Romanian airports to 16 countries providing low-fare access between Romania and the rest of Europe for both business and leisure travelers.

Tamara Vallois, Head of Communications of Wizz Air said “Today we are thrilled to be announcing yet two more attractive routes to our Romanian customers. Already the largest airline in Romania, we continue to look for low-fare travel opportunities to offer to our customers, this time adding Denmark as our 18th country available on WIZZ’s low fares from Bucharest and well as Hanover, our newest German airport in the WIZZ network and one of the largest business and leisure destinations in Germany. The new routes reinforce WIZZ’s market leadership in Romania as we stay committed to offering the best on-board experience at the lowest fares to our Romanian customers. We look forward to welcoming many visitors to the country and to carry even more Romanian travelers on our modern fleet”.

LITHUANIA: Wizz Air Commences Flights

Wizz Air toady announced further expansion of its route network from Lithuania. The airline will start operating another attractive route from Vilnius to Grenoble in France. The new service will commence on 14 January and operate on Saturdays. Tickets are already on sale starting at EUR 24.99.

Grenoble is already the 4th new destination WIZZ added to its low-fare Vilnius network in 2016. With its newest service to France, Wizz Air now offers a total of 33 routes to 14 countries from it’s three Lithuanian airports.

Gabor Vasarhelyi, Communications Manager at Wizz Air said: “We are delighted to announce another attractive route from Vilnius. Grenoble is already the fourth new destination we add to our ever growing Lithuania network in this calendar year and we are sure Vilnius winter sport lovers will enjoy visiting the ‘capital of the Alps’ on our very low fares. Seats on our new Grenoble route are already on sale from just EUR 24.99 on wizzair.com.

Our friendly Lithuanian crew looks forward to welcoming you on board a WIZZ flight with a smile!”