Low-cost Wizz Air to fly from Rīga

Andris Straumanis

December 08, 2009

The Hungary-based low cost airline Wizz Air will begin service from Rīga in March with flights to Great Britain, Norway and Finland, the company has announced.

Thrice-weekly flights to London Luton Airport and Sandefjord Airport Torp near Oslo will commence March 30, the airline announced in a press release. Twice-weekly flights to Turku Airport will start March 28.

“Wizz Air’s opening of the Rīga market is a natural next step in the airline’s expansion in Central and Eastern Europe,” Wizz Air CEO József Váradi said in a press release. “We continue our dynamic development to reinforce our leadership position in the region to the benefit of the ever growing number of people who can now afford to fly.”

Latvian transportation officials credit lower tariffs at Rīga International Airport for helping to lure Wizz Air. The new tariffs went into effect Nov. 1.

“We are gratified that one of the fastest growing airlines in the Central and Eastern Europe is commencing operations at Rīga International Airport,” Krišjānis Peters, chairman of the airport board, said in a press release. “Important preconditions to our cooperation were the advantageous geographical position of Rīga and our new tariff policy, which is one of the friendliest among the airports of the European capitals.”

Wizz Air started operations in 2004 with flights from Poland. Today the airline has flights on more than 150 routes.

Andris Straumanis is editor of Latvians Online.