Wizz Air is heaping more pressure on its embattled central European budget rival SkyEurope by launching flights from Bratislava - home of, you've guessed it, SkyEurope. The latter is currently in the process of restructuring after filing for creditor protection last month, and Wizz has made its move by launching four weekly flights from Bratislava to Rome starting in September.
"Slovakia has always been on our horizon," says Wizz Air executive VP John Stephenson. "We believe that now is the time to step up and benefit from the arising opportunities on the market. This is the first step, many more to follow."
Here's the full story from our premium news service Air Transport Intelligence
Wizz entry to Slovakia set to heap pressure on SkyEurope
David Kaminski-Morrow, London (01Jul09, 14:40 GMT, 139 words)
Central Europe's Wizz Air is to pile further pressure on SkyEurope Airlines by establishing operations in Slovakia, the embattled carrier's home market. Wizz Air is to open a connection between Bratislava and Rome from 20 September. It plans to operate four times per week on the route. SkyEurope, whose network include Bratislava-Rome Fiumicino, is attempting to restructure its operations after filing for creditor protection last month. The carrier has been struggling against heavy losses and depletion of its fleet, and the entry of rival Wizz into the Slovak market will be a further blow. Wizz executive vice-president John Stephenson says Slovakia has long been "on the horizon" for the carrier. "We believe that now is the time to step up and benefit from the arising opportunities on the market," he says. Wizz operates a fleet of Airbus A320 aircraft.
Source: Air Transport Intelligence news
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