Wizz Air massively cuts flights after Hungary closed borders to foreigners

Wizz Air will sharply reduce weekly flights to and from Hungary from Sept. 7, the airline said, after the government announced it would ban the entry of foreigners to try to rein in the coronavirus outbreak.

Hungary announced on Friday that it would close its borders to foreigners from Sept. 1 to curb a rise in infections and Hungarians returning from abroad will have to go into quarantine.

Wizz Air said in a statement that it would operate 32 flights per week between Sept. 7 and 30, down from around 126 flights in the Sept. 1-6 period. That is only around 25% of prior flights.

On Sunday, Hungary recorded 292 new infections, the highest daily number since the start of the pandemic. Hungary has had a total of 5,961 coronavirus cases and 614 deaths.

“From Sept. 7 until 30 a greater reduction in flights can be expected, and only the most popular routes will remain available for passengers,” the airline said.

Other Wizz Air routes not operating to/from Hungary luckily remain unaffected by these cuts so far.

The low-cost airline, which in recent years has expanded from eastern into western Europe, has been one of the fastest airlines to recover from the COVID-19 crisis.

According to their press release, Wizz Air already operates 80% of flights compared to pre-pandemic levels.

Wizz Air also sticks to recent plans to open new huge bases in London Gatwick and Doncaster Sheffield.