Low-cost airline Wizz Air suspends several routes from Romania’s Craiova Airport

The company will suspend routes from Craiova to Bologna (Italy) from October 24; Rome Fiumicino (Italy) from October 23; Barcelona (Spain) from October 22; Paris Beauvais (France) from October 21; and Venice (Italy) from October 24.

With the introduction of the winter schedule, flights to Naples and Athens will also be suspended.

In the case of other destinations, Wizz Air will reduce operating frequencies. The Craiova – Bari route will be operated twice a week, compared with four flights currently; Craiova – London Luton will go from seven to three weekly frequencies, Craiova – Milan Bergamo from seven to five, and Craiova – Birmingham from three to two flights per week, according to Profit.ro.

"It is important to note that this decision does not exclusively concern Craiova, but is part of a broader process of redistributing Wizz Air’s capacity among the markets in which the company operates. During this year, the operator has made decisions to relocate aircraft from several bases in Romania, including Iași, Sibiu and Timișoara. Starting in October, in addition to Craiova, changes to allocated capacity are also planned for the bases in Iași, Cluj and Bucharest Băneasa,” said Sorin Manda, director of Craiova Airport.

The official further noted that Wizz Air’s decisions were also due to a slowdown in economic growth and private consumption, alongside existing pressures on the labor market in Romania.

“In such an economic context, air travel is among the expenses on which consumers and companies can make savings, with demand for air transport being closely linked to developments in the economy and consumption. According to Wizz Air, this situation is also reflected in the company’s ability to apply its planned fares, with the operator being forced to offer larger discounts to reach its targeted load factors, with an impact on the revenues generated by certain operations,” he added.

Airport officials said that they will “continue to ensure the connectivity of Craiova and the entire region.”

Wizz Air recently decided to reduce its winter capacity by 5%, joining rivals in cutting growth plans amid the war in Iran.

At the same time, Wizz Air wants to initiate collective layoffs in Romania, at its bases in Iași, Bucharest, Craiova and Cluj. Out of the company’s 1,892 employees, 172 employees at the operational bases in Bucharest, Craiova, Cluj and Iași are expected to be affected. The layoffs will take place between October and November 2026, according to Apix.

The list of those expected to be laid off includes more than 150 pilots and co-pilots, along with more than 120 flight attendants. On average, 43 employees from each operational base are on the “blacklist,” with Craiova being the most affected (47). In Bucharest, 46 employees are expected to be laid off, in Iași 44, and in Cluj 36 employees. All persons targeted for layoffs hold non-management positions.