Hungarian low cost airline Wizz Air will discontinue its flights on the Tel Aviv-Prague route in August. The reason is that Wizz Air is shutting down its hub at Prague Airport because of economic considerations.
For Israeli passengers, this means less competition on the route to one of their favorite destinations. El Al, Travel Service, Czech Airlines, and others will continue flying on the route. 220,000 passengers flew from Israel to the Czech Republic in 2017, 17% more than in the preceding year, mostly to Prague.
The discontinuation of the route will have no effect on Wizz Airlines' activity in Israel, where its business is growing. The airline finished 2017 in sixth place in number of passengers flown to and from Tel Aviv.
Wizz Air carried 700,000 passengers to and from Israel, 74% more than in the preceding year, with new routes and greater activity on existing ones. This number refers only to Ben Gurion Airport; hundreds of thousands more flew on direct Wizz Air flights to Eilat.
The company flies from Israel to a range of destinations, including Budapest, Luton Airport in the UK, Warsaw, Riga, and Sofia. The most recent destination from Israel announced by Wizz Air is Vienna, with four weekly flights scheduled to begin in June, increasing to daily flights in November.
Worldwide expansion
The Hungarian airline's expansion is not confined to Israel. The company has procured 21 planes, which it is using to open new routes and expand its activity on existing ones. Wizz Air is establishing new hubs, including one in Vienna.
The company emphasizes that its growth is reflected in $2 billion in investments. Among other places, Wizz Air has established hubs in the UK, Austria, Poland, Ukraine, and Georgia.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on April 8, 2018
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