Wizz Air scraps dozens of routes as hot weather is breaking its planes
Wizz Air has scrapped a number of routes as "hot and harsh" weather is damaging its planes.
On Monday, the Hungarian airline announced that it would discontinue its Abu Dhabi operations starting in August.
Ticket sales have been halted from the Middle Eastern capital to Varna from July 14, followed by Belgrade on July 19, Tirana on July 20, Kutaisi on July 29, and Sarajevo on August 31.
Six additional routes will be temporarily suspended, including Krakow (July 29–September 19), Budapest (paused until September 1), Vienna (paused until September 21), Katowice (paused until October 26), and both Astana and Samarkand (paused until November 1). Services to Sofia and Cluj have already been discontinued, Aviation Weekly reports.
The publication also notes that Pratt & Whitney GTF engine issues have led to 20% of Wizz Air's Airbus A320neo-family fleet being grounded over the past financial year.
The budget airline currently operates more than 30 routes from its Abu Dhabi base.
Last month, Wizz Air CEO József Váradi said the carrier was strategically reducing operations in 'hot and harsh' environments. He explained that capacity would be reallocated to lower-risk areas to help reduce operating costs and prolong engine life.
'Hot and harsh is a significant issue which we are going to address,' the CEO said. 'That will not only lower operating costs and extend engine lifetime, but it will also increase productivity on sectors.'
In a statement issued this morning, the airline said three main "operational challenges over the past year" led to the decision to "suspend all locally based flight operations effective 1 September 2025". They are:
• Engine reliability constraints, particularly in hot and harsh environments, which have impacted aircraft availability and operational efficiency.
• Geopolitical volatility, which has led to repeated airspace closures and operational disruptions across the region, as well as weakened consumer demand.
• Regulatory barriers, which have limited the company's ability to access and scale in key markets.
Mr. Váradi added: "We have had a tremendous journey in the Middle East and are proud of what we have built. I thank our highly dedicated employees for their relentless efforts and commitment to developing the WIZZ brand in new and dynamic markets. However, the operating environment has changed significantly.
"Supply chain constraints, geopolitical instability, and limited market access have made it increasingly difficult to sustain our original ambitions. While this was a difficult decision, it is the right one given the circumstances. We continue to focus on our core markets and on initiatives that enhance Wizz Air's customer proposition and build shareholder value."
Passengers with existing bookings beyond 31 August will be contacted directly via email with options for refunds or alternative travel arrangements. Customers who booked through third-party providers are advised to contact their respective agents. The suspensions do not affect other flights of the Wizz Air group.
The announcements come as Wizz extends its operations in other markets, including by adding several new routes from its UK base at Luton Airport.
From last month, Wizz Air started whisking passengers away four times weekly from Gatwick to the quaint Polish city of Wroclaw. Come the start of August, Londoners will also have the chance to jet off from the same bustling hub to the Polish capital, Warsaw, and even Medina in Saudi Arabia.
Birmingham hasn't been left behind; the heart of the West Midlands gained thrice-weekly connections to Rome as of June, with future plans to link up with Sibiu and Suceava in Romania.
Last week Mirror Travel sat down with Yvonne Moynihan, the new managing director of the UK wing of the airline.
In a wide-ranging interview, she wanted the bag fees to be set for a hike due to upcoming European Union legislation. Ms Moynihan also admitted that she had recently been stung by the airline's hand-luggage rules, forking out for a £60 fine as a result.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
13 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Playful Cruz Beckham has a laugh with his brother Romeo mimicking his dad's famous skimpy Speedo look on luxury yacht - as Brooklyn misses out on all the fun again
It appeared to be a laugh a minute aboard the good ship Beckham, as brothers Cruz and Romeo were spotted larking around on the families' £16million yacht on Tuesday - but of course, Brooklyn was nowhere to be seen. Cruz, 20, stripped down to some $550 (£410) white Prada budgie smugglers and frolicked on the sun deck with his bikini-clad girlfriend Jackie Apostel, 29, before diving into the water. He appeared to have borrowed the look from his father David, who has been spotted wearing a strikingly similar pair on other holidays as recently as last year. Cruz's look was also reminiscent of David's iconic Armani underwear campaigns, where he has previously worn white briefs to show off his muscular frame. He kept them on for a spin around the bay on a wakeboard, showing off his water sports skills before also flaunting his musical talent with a guitar session. Budding musician Cruz in looked every inch the showman as he played guitar on the front of the impressive vessel in front of his girlfriend. Following his dip in the sea, he could be seen chatting with Romeo, 22, who was also on the annual family holiday in St Tropez this week. Brooklyn is the only Beckham child not on the getaway, having spent the week before in the same location with his wife Nicola Peltz, 30, and his in-laws. The eldest Beckham son looked to be missing out on a fun-filled trip, as the other offspring made the most of their trip together. Brooklyn has left the south of France to return to the U.S, where he was spotted looking glum on an outing in New York with his wife and mother-in-law, Claudia, on Tuesday. On Wednesday he shared 'glum' pictures of himself waiting for Nicola in a changing room while she tried on clothes. He narrowly avoided a run in with his family in Francve amid their ongoing feud, after both families were pictured in the same port just days apart. Romeo and Harper, 14, originally joined their parents Victoria, 51, and David, 50, for some time away, before they were later joined by Cruz and Jackie. Cruz and Jackie looked totally relaxed as they sunbathed together on the yacht, which is named Seven after Harper's middle name and David's football shirt number. While they kicked back together, Victoria was spotted on the top deck, also topping up her tan in the sunshine. Cruz launched into an impressive dive into the water below He appeared every inch the showman as he larked about Shirtless Romeo donned a pair of red swimming shorts Romeo was seen playing with a ball on the deck Brooklyn and Nicola have continued to keep away amid an ongoing family feud, as the pair lived it up on a £85million vessel that dwarfs his parents' close by last week. The family has been thrown into turmoil in recent months as it has been claimed Brooklyn has become increasingly estranged from his famous parents after failing to attend any of his father David's 50th birthday celebrations in May. The couple traded in their £5million yacht for the much bigger vessel last year, and had been pictured on it sailing around Miami. The impressive looking vessel, understood to be worth £16million, was a significant upgrade on the comparatively modest 100-foot yacht reportedly purchased by Beckham in 2022. The football legend was said to have 'treated himself' to his original vessel in 2022 after being inspired by his maritime jaunts with close friends Sir Elton John and David Furnish - who often holiday at sea. A source told The Sun at the time: 'David had a look around some yachts in the summer, and decided to treat himself. He helped design the boat himself, and has been incredibly hands-on with everything. 'It's not an oligarch-style superyacht, but it's still pretty plush by anyone's standards. He was inspired after holidaying with Elton and David on their boat - and loves life on the water. 'There will be an area for the kids to snorkel, and the boat will be a brilliant base for the whole Beckham clan to have magical holidays abroad.' Romeo rinsed off using the onboard shower Cruz and Jackie have been dating since April 2024 Brooklyn and Nicola have been holidaying with her family in St Tropez up until last week Cruz was a natural on the board The group looked to be having a great time together He dried off with a white fluffy towel Cruz was seen leaving for his wakeboard session Earlier this week, Victoria gave a rare insight into her feelings about estranged son Brooklyn with a telling social media move. The former Spice Girl has proved she is still keeping tabs on her eldest son's moves by 'liking' several of his social media facts. Notably, in the three-weeks spanning July 5 and July 26 - she liked every single one of his posts that didn't feature Nicola. All posts in which he was seen with his wife, were not acknowledged by Victoria. It is possible that these posts - four out of the 16 - were simply not seen by her. Victoria has not liked any of Nicola's posts in the same time period. Nor have the Lola actress and Brooklyn liked any of Victoria's. Brooklyn did, however, open up about the only thing he and wife Nicola argue over amid the ongoing feud with his famous family. Despite their troubles, the hunk suggested the couple, who wed in 2023, are still very much in the honeymoon stage and only disagree over the thermostat. Jackie and Cruz had previously been holidaying together Cruz, who plans to be a musician, was seen practicing on holiday Cruz wakeboarded while the rest of his family chilled out on the yacht The speed boat carried two members of the crew Romeo kept busy playing ball with a pal He told GQ: 'By the way, that's the only argument me and my wife have, the temperature in the room. She loves it'. 'She runs cold, so she always wants it all hot all the time. I always run hot, and I like to have it a little bit colder, so we meet in the middle.' Read More EXCLUSIVE Brooklyn Beckham gets back to the grind: Glum hot sauce salesman joins Nicola Peltz shopping and heads for a family lunch with the in-laws It was previously revealed that Brooklyn and Nicola's Instagram accounts no longer follow his younger brothers Cruz and Romeo in the latest family drama. However, Brooklyn's friends told Daily Mail that Cruz and Romeo have actually blocked them on the social media platform. This would make sense given that Brooklyn and Nicola are still following Victoria and David. Cruz and Romeo were still following Brooklyn and Nicola earlier this month but appeared to take action after Brooklyn posted a birthday tribute to sister Harper, sharing a family photo without them in it – which Nicola reposted. There was much speculation whether Brooklyn would reach out to Harper on her 14th birthday, but despite him doing so, it seems all is not well in the camp. Brooklyn's birthday tribute to Harper marked his first public interaction with his family since he paid tribute to his grandmother Sandra on June 26, despite remaining silent and shunning his father's 50th birthday earlier that same month. Sources close to the family have told Daily Mail of their fears that Brooklyn and his wife Nicola have also distanced themselves from Harper after they failed to visit her when they flew into London in May to film an advert for French-Italian clothing brand Moncler just over a mile from the family home in Holland Park. David and Victoria had no idea whether Brooklyn, who Harper has idolised since she was a little girl, would message her privately or publicly on Instagram because they have no communication with him.
Telegraph
17 hours ago
- Telegraph
Tone-deaf ECB has broken Ben Stokes by prioritising the Hundred
The ECB was keen to announce that six of the eight ownership contracts have been agreed because negotiations dragged on far longer than expected but another day, once the Test had started, would not have made a big difference and allowed the Test series priority. Instead a stream of press releases from the counties involved and the bankers who handled the deals for the Hundred hit inboxes. Trent Bridge and the Oval are still in talks with their prospective buyers, with Surrey and the Ambani family the most fraught of those negotiations. The press release insisted that the ECB will retain control over 'key areas such as regulations, the length of the window and other matters that have a wider game-wide impact'. We shall see. Stokes was clearly upset and hugely disappointed to miss out and tried to persuade himself he could play as a batsman only to realise at practice that it would be a silly risk to take. He stood forlornly at the side of nets as England trained, watched for a few minutes before he wheeled his kit bag back to the dressing room, and packed it away until the Perth Test in November. In hindsight, while his eight-over spell on the morning of day five at Old Trafford was great sporting theatre and felt crucial to England's chances, it was obvious straightaway he was carrying a shoulder injury. England are still not very good at telling their alpha male captain to give his body a chance. At the drinks break it looked as though Joe Root was trying to persuade Stokes he had done enough. He bowled three more overs to the second new ball, clutching his shoulder between deliveries as he walked back to his mark. The pecking order for the best cricketers has not changed. Stokes struggles to hide his disdain for the Hundred. Despite the aches and pains he described a five-Test series as 'very tough, a real test of character, of physicality but is class to play. .When he won his first IPL earlier this year, Virat Kohli was asked what it meant to him. 'It marks five levels below Test cricket.' Says it all.
Reuters
18 hours ago
- Reuters
Airbus says it has 60 jets awaiting engines, now including from Pratt & Whitney
PARIS, July 30 (Reuters) - Airbus ( opens new tab CEO Guillaume Faury said the number of completed airframes still waiting for delayed engine deliveries had risen to 60 and that the delays now involved Pratt & Whitney (RTX.N), opens new tab on top of earlier problems with rival CFM (GE.N), opens new tab( opens new tab. Speaking in a half-yearly media briefing, however, Faury defended the company's target of raising deliveries by 7% to 820 jets for 2025 as a whole, which he said was supported by an agreement with the engine makers to secure enough deliveries. He also said Airbus was progressing towards the planned opening of a second assembly line in China at end-2025 and, on defence, pledged to stay onboard a Franco-German-Spanish fighter project despite tensions with partner Dassault Aviation ( opens new tab.
