Vienna to lose Wizz Air hub as airline refocuses on Central Europe

Wizz Air has announced plans to close its base at Vienna International Airport, ceasing all operations from the Austrian capital by March 15, 2026. The decision follows a strategic review and is attributed to increasing operational costs, taxes, and ground handling fees, which the airline says have made continued operations in Vienna incompatible with its low-cost business model.

The closure will be implemented in phases. The first stage, scheduled for October 26, 2025, will see the withdrawal of two aircraft and the suspension of routes to Bilbao and London Gatwick. The remaining three aircraft and the rest of the base’s route network will be phased out by mid-March 2026, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media. 

Wizz Air launched its Vienna base in 2018, eventually expanding its operations to 28 routes across 20 countries. The airline noted that despite its initial success, economic conditions at Vienna Airport have become unsustainable.

The move is part of a broader strategic adjustment by the budget carrier, which recently closed its base in Abu Dhabi and is shifting focus to its core markets in Central and Eastern Europe — regions the airline says contribute the majority of its business.

Wizz Air has also made adjustments to its UK network, discontinuing routes from Liverpool and Glasgow to Budapest earlier in October, while simultaneously adding new services to Spain, Poland, and Romania from London Luton and Birmingham.

Despite the Vienna closure, Wizz Air says it will continue to serve Austrian and regional passengers through nearby bases in Bratislava and Budapest.

By Sabina Mammadli