Wizz Air UK has today shared that it will open a new base at Cardiff Airport in Wales. This will be the carrier's fourth United Kingdom base, along with London Luton, Gatwick, and Doncaster Sheffield. For now, it will allocate a single Airbus A321 to the airport to assist with the launch of nine new leisure routes.
Year-round sun
According to Wizz, the new routes from Cardiff will enable passengers to take in plenty of sun across Europe and North Africa. Furthermore, the move will mark a considerable overhaul at Cardiff Airport and the local region as there will be more than 40 direct jobs and over 250 indirect jobs created. Notably, there will be an increase in yearly capacity at the site by over 350,000 seats.
Below is the schedule for Wizz Air UK's nine routes from Cardiff next year:
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Significant steps
Wizz Air UK managing director Owain Jones spoke about how exciting this expansion is for his airline. He expressed the commitment that the company has across the whole of the UK,
“The creation of our fourth UK base at Cardiff Airport reflects Wizz Air’s continued commitment to serving the UK market and generating economic growth, as we create local jobs, stimulate the tourism and hospitality industries and deliver on our promise of providing affordable, direct flights to exciting holiday destinations," Jones said.
"Today’s expansion into Wales brings increased connectivity to the region, so passengers can take advantage of Wizz Air’s ultra-low fares to travel to their favourite sunny holiday spots on-board our young and green aircraft fleet. With the launch of 47 new routes from the UK this year alone, we’re making sure that passengers can make up for lost time in creating amazing travel memories.”
Local importance
Meanwhile, Spencer Birns, interim CEO of Cardiff Airport, shared that his team is ecstatic to welcome Wizz Air UK. He said it is fantastic that Wales has been chosen to be the next base for one of the globe's leading low-cost carriers. Altogether, the move will bring more choices at affordable prices for passengers to travel to some of the most popular holiday destinations from the Welsh capital.
Additionally, Ken Skates, Minister for Economy, Transport and North Wales, summarized the move by emphasizing how important the step is for Cardiff Airport. There will be the creation of several jobs and an increase in activity. Therefore, the Wizz operations will ultimately help the hub emerge from the impact of the pandemic.
The executive added that many people in Wales are craving a vacation following a challenging year. So, he highlights that the new services, which are now on sale, will give greater opportunities for holidays to be planned in 2021.
Altogether, the Cardiff base shows Wizz Air's intention of not slowing down with its expansions. Along with its progress across the UK, the brand has been making substantial developments globally, such as with its Abu Dhabi project.
What are your thoughts about Wizz Air UK's expansion with its new base at Cardiff Airport? Do you think that this is a good move for the airline? Let us know what you think of the prospects in the comment section.