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Wizz Air UK plans to fly European football teams to the 2026 World Cup following a new flight permit for US travel.
The airline announced it had officially received the necessary permits to operate flights connecting the UK and the US on Friday.
Although Wizz Air has “no intention or plans” to launch regular commercial flights, the authorisation will allow the airline to operate tailored chartered flights.
It said this may include European football teams and supporters travelling to the World Cup, and “to tour operators organising group travel to the US”.
Wizz Air said it expects to see “strong interest from football teams participating in the World Cup”.
Charter packages will be designed to offer flexible transatlantic travel to large corporate groups, tour operators and sports organisations following the World Cup travel period.
Yvonne Moynihan, managing director of Wizz Air UK, said: “This is a proud and exciting day for everyone at our airline.
“Receiving approval to operate between the UK and the United States is a huge milestone for our company. It opens the door to incredible opportunities, particularly for European football teams and supporters travelling across the Atlantic this summer. We are ready to deliver exceptional charter experiences and bring fans closer to the action in the United States.”
Fans of England and Scotland flying to the US for the men’s football World Cup this summer may benefit from lower transatlantic air fares.
OAG, a global provider of digital flight information, has analysed fares currently being charged for June and July 2026 and compared them with the same months last summer.
The research found that fares from Europe to eight of the 11 host cities for travel in June and July 2026 have fallen compared with last year.
Aviation data specialist John Grant told The Independent: “I suspect that transatlantic fares could fall further, although from the UK the upcoming APD [air passenger duty] increases do not help.”
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