Hungarian low-coster to further expand in Ukraine

Hungarian low-coster will increase available capacity from Ukraine by more than 45 per cent next year (Wizz Air)

Hungarian low-coster Wizz Air is to further expand its operations in Ukraine by adding a fourth Airbus A320 aircraft at its Kyiv base for the summer schedule of 2019, launching five routes from both Kyiv and Lviv airports, thereby increasing available capacity from the country by more than 45 per cent next year.

The additional aircraft, which is due to arrive on 1 March 2019, will support five new direct connections operated from Ukraine, and will join Wizz’s service offerings from Kyiv to Bremen (Germany), Billund (Denmark) and Riga (Latvia) and from Lviv to Copenhagen (Denmark) and Frankfurt Hahn (Germany) thereby contributing to a 45 per cent increase in Wizz operations in Ukraine, providing in total more than 2.5 million seats on 42 routes to 12 countries. Wizz’s routes to Kyiv-Bremen, Kyiv-Billund, Lviv-Copenhagen and Lvivi-Frankfurt Hahn are the only direct connections.

Speaking in Kyiv, Stephen Jones, executive vice-president of Wizz Air, explains: “We are increasing our offer in Ukraine to more than 2.5 million tickets in 2019, on 42 routes available from three Ukrainian airports.”

Wizz Air launched its first operations from Igor Sikorsky Kyiv International Airport (formerly Zhulyany Airport) ten years ago, in 2008. “As the pioneer of lowest-fare air travel in Ukraine, we are looking to further stimulate the market and respond to the increasing demand for low-fare tickets and great travel experience,” Jones adds.

Hungarian low-coster now flies to 30 destinations in 11 European countries from the Ukraine cities of Kyiv, Lviv and Kharkiv. It will commence three new daily services from the Ukrainian capital to Berlin, Frankfurt and Vienna in October.

Meanwhile, challenging Wizz, Ryanair, Europe’s largest discounter, has also scheduled to start services from 10 destinations to Kyiv and from five airports to Lviv in October.