Flights to Vienna Axed
Wizz Air is axing all its flights to Vienna, in Austria, jeopardising Brits’ holidays to the European city.
The airline announced it will stop flights on the routes from London Gatwick and Bilbao, in Northern Spain, on October 26 this year.
Dubbed an ‘amazing gem of a city’ on TripAdvisor, this will come as a blow to the Brits hoping to attend Vienna’s famous Christmas market, which typically starts in mid-November.
Wizz Air will then withdraw its remaining services to the city from London Luton on March 15, 2026.
Current Flight Schedules
The airline currently offers two daily flights from London Gatwick to Vienna, which drops to one per day in the winter months. Passengers with existing bookings have been advised to contact Wizz Air and will be offered a credit refund or rebooked onto another service.
The airline’s Vienna base was established in 2018, but after seven years of operations, it has become too expensive for the company to continue flying planes into the city airport.
Rising Costs Force Cutbacks
“Unfortunately, the airport cost base in Vienna, as well as taxes and ground handling services, have risen significantly since our launch, making continued operations unsustainable,” said Mauro Peneda, managing director of Wizz Air Malta.
“This was a difficult, but necessary decision to safeguard the long-term competitiveness of our business. We will support our colleagues in Vienna with job opportunities across our ever-growing network. We are grateful for their dedication and thank our passengers for their understanding.”
Guidance for Affected Passengers
If you’re flying to Vienna before October 26, then your trip will be unaffected. However, Wizz Air has posted guidance for those due to travel after this date.
In a statement, the airline said passengers will be contacted via the Wizz Air app or by email to discuss the next steps if their flight has been affected.
However, passengers will not be given a cash refund for their flight, with just one of two options available.
You can opt for a full refund in WIZZ credits to book a different flight to another destination using the same airline, or you can ask to be rebooked on an alternative Wizz Air flight.
Alternative Routes to Vienna
The airline also reminded passengers that it still operates flights to Budapest, a two-and-a-half-hour train ride from Vienna, and to Bratislava, which is just an hour’s drive to Austria’s capital.
Airlines that still fly directly to Vienna include easyJet, Ryanair, and British Airways, so travellers can still book flights to the Austrian capital if they have not yet made travel plans.
Wizz Air’s Wider Route Cuts
Vienna isn’t the only route Wizz Air has cancelled, with flights to Budapest from Liverpool and Glasgow also being withdrawn.
Liverpool to Budapest will cease service just two days before Vienna is withdrawn, on October 24, while the Glasgow to Budapest route will stop the day before, on October 25.
Ryanair CEO Criticises Wizz Air
Ryanair’s chief executive, Michael O’Leary, has voiced concerns over the future of his competitor.
Speaking during Ryanair’s earnings call for the first quarter of the 2026 financial year, O’Leary said: “I don’t believe Wizz will be operating in Europe in the next three to five years as an independent carrier and certainly not if their strategy is to move into more competition with Ryanair.
“I continue to believe that the consolidation process in Europe will ultimately see Wizz taken out by someone.”
Wizz Air Responds
A Wizz Air spokesperson responded: “Rather than speculate on the comments and actions of our competitors, Wizz is focused on connecting our passengers to and from central and eastern Europe, where we see uncontested markets and economic prosperity driving disproportionately higher demand for air travel.”