Low-cost airline Wizz Air has today announced the postponement of their launch of routes from Cardiff until next year.
The operator first announced plans to open in Cardiff in December last year, and were originally due to open in March.
After two postponements, the hub was finally due to open at the end of this month and routes had been planned to Alicante, Corfu, Faro, Heraklion, Palma de Mallorca, Larnaca and Tenerife.
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Wizz Air had also intended to begin flights to Lanzarote and Sharm el-Sheikh from Cardiff this autumn.
The Hungarian airline says that the postponement is due to current coronavirus restrictions.
A spokesperson for the company said: “As a result of the ongoing Covid-19 related travel restrictions, and ever changing quarantine measures in place across the UK and Europe, it is with regret that we have had to take the difficult but responsible 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.
“Despite the ever changing and inconsistent government travel regulations, with three new bases and over 60 new routes in the UK announced in the past year alone, together with the arrival of four brand new A321NEO aircraft, Wizz Air remains committed to long-term growth in the U.K., creating hundreds of direct new jobs while also stimulating the tourism and hospitality industries.
“We apologise for the inconvenience this further delay might have caused to our customers. We remain dedicated and look forward to opening our fourth UK base at Cardiff Airport and to welcoming passengers onboard our young and green aircraft fleet next summer.”
The budget airline says that they will create 40 new jobs by opening at Cardiff Airport in Rhoose, and an additional 250 jobs in the supply chain.
Cardiff Airport will be Wizz’s fourth location in the UK.
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