Wizz Air closes Vienna base: airport horrified by withdrawal!

Wizz Air closes Vienna base: airport horrified by withdrawal!

Wizz Air, the Hungarian low-cost airline, plans to close its base at Vienna-Schwechat Airport. The withdrawal will take place in two phases and will have a significant impact on the airline's travel routes and its passengers. The reason for the closure is the sharp increase in airport fees, taxes and ground handling costs, which make the ultra-low-cost business model no longer viable, as exxpress.at reports. The decision was described by Mauro Peneda, managing director of Wizz Air Malta, as difficult but necessary for long-term competitiveness.

On October 26, 2025, two of the current five Airbus A321neo and the connections to Bilbao and London-Gatwick will be discontinued. The remaining three jets and the associated 26 routes will follow on March 15, 2026. In total, the airline currently operates routes in 20 countries with a capacity of 27,000 passengers per week. After the closure, Austrian passengers will continue to be served via the bases in Bratislava and Budapest. Vienna Airport regrets the decision and notes that the airport fees are the same for all airlines, while at the same time it plans to reduce fees by up to 5% from January 1, 2026, as aviation.direct adds.

Reactions and support for those affected

Wizz Air has announced that it will inform the affected passengers directly and offer them the choice between refunds in cash or “WIZZ credits” (120% of the ticket price) as well as rebooking on alternative Wizz Air flights. The airline will also offer support for the 254 employees at the Vienna location, including transfers and alternative positions within the company.

The base closure could increase ticket prices on certain routes and create opportunities for other airlines to fill those voids. Wizz Air's withdrawal reflects the challenges in the aviation market related to costs and profitability. This development will potentially affect the entire industry, as stated in the new analysis by the German Aerospace Center (DLR) in “MONITOR Air Transport and Low-Cost”. This report provides a comprehensive look at the low-cost market and examines the impact on airports and passenger demand, contextualizing current changes in the aviation market, as dlr.de explains.

Wizz Air opened its base in Vienna in 2018 and has since contributed a lot to the region's flight offering. However, the planned closure marks a turning point that could have significant consequences for both the airline and passengers.