Wizz Air has announced it will suspend all flights to Italy and Israel in response to travel restrictions caused by the coronavirus outbreak.

All the low-cost carrier’s flights to Italy are suspended as of today (March 10), while flights to Tel Aviv and Eilat will be suspended from March 12.

The airline said it was due to the country-wide lockdown announced yesterday by the Italian prime minister, and the implementation of a 14-day quarantine period for all passengers arriving in Israel.

It added that affected passengers will be automatically informed and “accommodated on an alternative route at the earliest possible date”.

They will be offered a free rebooking, full refund or 120 per cent refund of their original fare in airline credit.

London Luton to Tel Aviv is currently set to resume on March 23.

Flights to Italy (Alghero, Bari, Bologna, Catania, Milano Bergamo, Milano Malpensa, Naples, Pisa, Rome Ciampino, Rome Fiumicino, Turin, Venice Treviso, Verona) are set to resume April 3.

Wizz Air is based in Budapest and operates through a UK subsidiary. Last year it said it had overtaken Easyjet as the largest carrier at Luton by market share.

The outbreak of coronavirus is causing widespread disruption to airlines and passengers alike.

British Airways, Easyjet, Virgin Atlantic and Ryanair are cutting hundreds of flights from the UK this month, with more flight cancellations to northern Italy announced yesterday and further changes under review.

Passengers on cancelled flights are entitled to a full refund or alternative flight, though passengers who booked inflexible tickets on certain dates may not be. Read our round-up of airline policies below.

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