Wizz Air Maps Major Ukraine Comeback, But Peace Remains Elusive

Wizz Air wants to seize a once-in-a-generation vacuum left by defunct national carriers and sidelined Russian firms. Peace in Ukraine can feel distant, but that’s not stopping airlines from priming their post-war plans.

Wizz Air has presented a “comprehensive” plan to re-enter the Ukrainian market – though only once a ceasefire is in place, which still has no clear timeline.

On Thursday, the carrier detailed a rapid relaunch strategy to resume operations in Ukraine after the conflict ends. It says 30 routes would launch within six weeks of regulatory clearance.

These initial flights would be served by aircraft and crew based elsewhere in the airline’s network. However, by the end of year one, the airline wants to see locally based aircraft, with up to 60 routes on sale from the country.

This level of capacity would provide around 5 million seats per year. By year three of re-entering the market, Wizz Air is aiming for 150 routes, providing around 15 million seats annually.

In an investor presentation published Thursday, Wizz Air described itself as “the go-to airline to rebuild Ukrainian connectivity post ceasefire” and highlighted the company’s confidence in filling the market gap left by legacy carriers.

Before the Russian invasion in February 2022, Wizz Air had around