Wizz Air has announced plans to expand operations at Gatwick, following a deal to acquire a package of slots from Norwegian.

The Hungarian low-cost carrier has acquired a total of 15 daily slot pairs at the south London airport, which will result in it basing an additional four A321 neo aircraft at Gatwick from spring 2022.

Wizz said that the move would allow it to launch “a host of new low-fare routes” from Gatwick, with 14 routes confirmed to Faro, Palma, Larnaca, Catania, Podgorica, Tel Aviv, Chania, Mykonos, Funchal, Milan, Rome, Vienna, Bari and Naples. These will join existing services to Athens and Malaga.

More details on the new routes including launch dates and frequencies, can be seen in the table below.

The announcement follows British Airways’ confirmation of a return to short-haul flying from Gatwick in March 2022, with three based aircraft and a total of 35 destinations.

British Airways returns to Gatwick in a big way

Wizz Air launched its third UK base at Gatwick in August 2020, initially basing one A321 neo at the airport, and the carrier said that the successful bid for more slots “reiterates Wizz Air’s long-term commitment to both the airport and the region”.

The airline said that “Throughout the pandemic, Wizz Air has been and remains focused on growth in the UK and across its network, having opened 18 new bases, launched over 400 new routes and delivered 39 new aircraft since March 2020”.

It should be noted however that the pandemic has also forced Wizz to cut schedules – airline schedule analyst Sean M recently tweeted that the carrier had removed 86 routes from sale, including a raft of cuts at Vienna, Larnaca and Warsaw Chopin airports.

Commenting on the Gatwick slot acquisitions Wizz Air’s Group CEO Jozsef Varadi, said:

“This announcement is further evidence of our commitment to London Gatwick Airport as well as the UK market, as we continue to create local jobs and deliver our promise of providing low-fare travel opportunities with excellent service to an ever-increasing range of exciting destinations, while flying one of the greenest aircraft fleets available on the market today.

“Acquiring airport slots at Gatwick Airport will enable us to enhance our presence and competitive position in the London market. We continue to develop our business in the United Kingdom and remain committed to making air travel affordable for all. The 2022 season has the potential to be a tremendous opportunity for UK aviation to get back on its feet.”

Earlier this year a restructured Norwegian announced plans to become a “de-risked airline focused on a strengthened short-haul network in Europe”, focusing on a “profitable core” of routes and markets “that historically have had the strongest performance”.

It subsequently outlined plans to offer 142 weekly flights to the UK and Ireland in summer 2022.

Norwegian to offer 142 weekly flights to the UK and Ireland in summer 2022

wizzair.com

Route

Operating Days

Starts

Fares from*

Tel Aviv, Israel

Daily

27 March 2022

£35.99

Faro, Portugal

Daily

27 March 2022

£17.99

Palma, Mallorca

Daily

27 March 2022

£17.99

Larnaca, Cyprus

Daily

11 April 2022

£17.99

Podgorica, Montenegro

Tuesday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday

7 April 2022

£17.99

Catania, Italy

Monday, Wednesday, Friday

8 April 2022

£17.99

Chania, Crete

(Summer only)

Daily

7 April 2022

£26.99

Mykonos, Greece

(Summer only)

Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday

12 April 2022

£26.99

Funchal, Madeira

Monday, Friday

28 March 2022

£26.99

Rome, Italy

Daily

27 March 2022

£8.99

Milan, Italy

Daily

27 March 2022

£8.99

Naples, Italy

Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday

27 March 2022

£8.99

Bari, Italy

Tuesday, Saturday

29 March 2022

£17.99

Vienna, Austria

Daily

27 March 2022

£8.99