Wizz Air has postponed opening its base at Cardiff Airport at the end of this month just 24 hours after confirming the date, blaming continuing travel restrictions.
Budget carrier Wizz confirmed only yesterday that it would start flying from Cardiff on July 30 with services to Alicante, Corfu, Faro, Heraklion, Palma, Larnaca and Tenerife.
The announcement of the start date came after the Welsh government confirmed the end of quarantine restrictions for fully vaccinated travellers returning from amber list countries.
Wizz Air UK managing director Owain Jones said yesterday: “We’re excited to be launching flights just in time for the summer holiday season.”
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Yet today the carrier announced a delay until summer 2022 “as a result of the ongoing Covid-19 related travel restrictions and ever changing quarantine measures in place across the UK and Europe”.
In a statement, the carrier said: “It is with regret that we have had to take the difficult decision to further postpone the opening of our new Cardiff base until summer 2022 to give our customers, employees and business partners certainty during this difficult time.
“This has not been an easy decision and we understand the disappointment our customers in South Wales will be feeling.
“We apologise for the inconvenience this delay might have caused to our customers. We remain dedicated to opening our fourth UK base at Cardiff Airport next summer.”
A Wizz spokesperson noted the airline had established three new bases and more than 60 new routes in the UK in the past year “despite the ever changing and inconsistent government travel regulations” and said: “Wizz Air remains committed to long-term growth in the UK.”
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