Wizz Air to scrap Gatwick-Vienna route as Austria base closes

Wizz Air will scrap its route between Gatwick and Vienna next month after deciding to close its Austrian base, citing “unsustainable” costs.

The Gatwick service will stop on October 26, alongside the Vienna-Bilbao route, when two of Vienna’s five aircraft are withdrawn. 

The rest of the 28 routes will cease on March 15, 2026, with the airline having decided operating from Vienna is “incompatible” with its low-cost business model.

Wizz Air Malta managing director Mauro Peneda said: “Unfortunately, the airport cost base in Vienna, as well as taxes and ground handling services, has risen significantly since our launch, making continued operations unsustainable.”

The airline opened its Vienna base in 2018 and currently has a fleet of five Airbus A321neo aircraft, operating 28 routes to 20 countries.

The carrier said the decision to withdraw from Vienna was made after a strategic review of operations and fleet allocation.

It added: “With Wizz Air’s strategic focus on building its central and eastern European core markets and delivering low fares made possible by cost discipline, operating from Vienna has become incompatible with the airline’s ultra-low cost business model.”

Travellers with bookings on affected flights will be contacted directly by Wizz Air and offered a full refund in Wizz credits or rebooking onto an alternative Wizz Air flight.

Peneda said closing the Vienna base was a “difficult but necessary decision to safeguard the long-term competitiveness of our business”.

He added: “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.

“Guided by our Customer First Compass initiative, we will continue working to ensure that all our decisions place customers and employees at the heart of Wizz Air’s future growing network.”