Wizz Air announces new base and major expansion at Doncaster Sheffield Airport
Wizz Air has announced a new base at Doncaster Sheffield Airport, which will be the second base for Wizz Air UK, the group’s UK-registered and based airline, alongside London Luton. The airline will allocate one Airbus A320 aircraft to the Yorkshire airport, and will launch seven new routes to add to its existing Doncaster Sheffield network of ten routes.
Wizz Air’s first flight from Doncaster Sheffield Airport took off over 14 years ago.
With the creation of a new base at Doncaster Sheffield Airport, Wizz Air will launch new connections to destinations including the Spanish cities of Alicante and Malaga, Larnaca in Cyprus, Faro in Portugal, Lublin in Poland, Kosice in Slovakia and Suceava in Romania.
With the creation of a new Wizz Air UK base at Doncaster Sheffield, Wizz Air will not only increase the annual capacity of Doncaster Sheffield Airport by 150,000 seats, providing local passengers with even more affordable and exciting travel opportunities, but will contribute to the development of the local economy through stimulating the job market.
With the allocation of this aircraft, Wizz Air now has 11 aircraft permanently based in the UK, and the addition of these new routes from Doncaster Sheffield means the airline has almost 1.8 million seats on sale on its 107 routes from the UK for the remainder of 2020.
Owain Jones, Managing Director of Wizz Air UK said: “The creation of our second base in the UK is a major milestone for Wizz Air UK, and testament to both our long term commitment to serving the UK market and the strength of the Wizz Air business model, as we continue to expand our footprint during this challenging time for the industry. We’re delighted to be
introducing new low-fare connections to Doncaster Sheffield, to provide customers with opportunities to explore new cultures and cities, or return to their favourite holiday spots. The WIZZ team looks forward to welcoming customers old and new on-board our young and green fleet of Airbus aircraft very soon.”
Robert Hough, Chairman of Doncaster Sheffield Airport said: “We are delighted to bring more ultra-low fares to DSA, to these popular destinations loved by our customers and served by an airline who pride themselves on providing affordable travel, with an excellent reputation. With strong performance there is now a real possibility for the base to grow from one aircraft initially to a multi aircraft base further broadening the range of routes available.
“Our partnership with Wizz Air is incredibly special to our business. Both Wizz Air and Doncaster Sheffield Airport began their journeys’ in the early 2000s as challenger brands with a shared desire to provide opportunity for the people of our respective markets through obtainable travel. Fast forward 15 years and Wizz Air is one of Europe’s most successful and well-established airlines and Doncaster Sheffield Airport as one of the UKs fastest growing airports – it’s a true partnership that has gone from strength to strength.
“There is no doubt that the aviation sector faces its greatest challenge in modern day history at this time. It is essential that the UK Government acknowledges and supports airlines and airports that bring much needed investment into the UK economy. Doncaster Sheffield Airport contributes over £60 million to the Sheffield City Region and offers job security for thousands of people.”