Wizz Air boosts domestic Norway, Italy ops with new bases

Wizz Air (W6, Budapest) has announced it will launch two new bases, in Bari in Italy and Trondheim in Norway, to bolster its presence in each country’s domestic market. Until recently, the Hungarian low-cost carrier did not operate any domestic routes but turned to these markets in light of the unpredictable border restrictions affecting international travel. It already operates within Italy and will enter the local Norwegian market on November 5. The Bari base will consist of a single A321-200 and will launch on December 17, 2020, with flights to Bologna (daily), Verona (3x weekly), and Turin (4x weekly). It will simultaneously add other domestic Italian routes from its two other Italian bases, Milan Malpensa (to Brindisi, Lamezia Terme, and Naples Capodichino) and Catania (to Verona). The Trondheim base will also launch on December 17. Wizz Air plans to base two A320-200s out of the city to operate new services to Bodø, Tromsø, and Stavanger. It will also add direct services from Bodø to Tromsø and from Stavanger to Tromsø. The airline will also add two new routes from Oslo Gardermoen, to Aalesund and Bodø, on top of the three trunk services to Trondheim, Bergen, and Tromsø, which are due to commence on November 5. Chief Executive József Váradi told online business newspaper E24 that the decision to open a second base in Norway was in response to significant demand for Wizz Air’s domestic flights in the country.