Wizz Air has revealed it will return to the Slovakia market with the launch of a twice weekly link between the country’s second biggest city, Košice, and London Luton, the largest network point in the carrier’s route schedule. The carrier says the new route, which will commence from September 17, 2013, will be welcomed by tourists, business travellers, the many Slovakian citizens keen to live and work in western Europe and the existing Slovakian Diaspora. Wizz Air already plans to double the frequency of the link to four times weekly from October 27, 2013 following the arrival of additional aircraft, bringing almost 75,000 annual seats in and out of Košice on an annual basis.

“As this year’s European Capital of Culture, Kosice is generating an inflow of tourists and history lovers from all over the world. Individual travelers as well as families and businesses will welcome this exciting development and contribute to job creation and tourism development in Slovakia,” said József Váradi, Chief Executive Officer, Wizz Air. “Wizz Air is committed to stimulate significant air traffic that benefits local economies, tourism industries and employment and I am certain that the route to London Luton will be highly popular among Slovakian citizens.”

Wizz Air has been a dominant player in increasing air services within Central and Eastern Europe but has only very limited previous experience in the Slovakian market after briefly serving the country for a five month period in late 2009 and early 2010. The carrier introduced a four times weekly link between Rome Fiumicino and the capital Bratislava in September 2009 but closed the route in January 2010.

The arrival of Wizz Air and a direct flight to London is a major development for the management at Košice Airport who have been working closely with Košice Tourism and the team at Košice 2013 – European Capital of Culture to promote the city and region and secure new air services. According to Karl Dandler, Chief Executive Officer, Košice Airport, the route could act as a “milestone” for the further development of air services at the facility and boosting the tourism and business sectors in Košice and across Eastern Slovakia.

This route is a perfect example of how airlines, airports and tourism organisations should work together to maximise the benefits of air connectivity and is something that the Routes events help facilitate. In fact the first contact between Košice Airport and Wizz Air actually took place at World Routes in Abu Dhabi last October and since then airport officials have been working closely with Košice Tourism to bring the route to fruition. “The evidence supporting the success of a joined-up team approach to air service development between airports and tourism stakeholders is now unequivocal,” explained Ged Brown, Director of Tourism, UBM Routes. “There is a greater chance of securing new air services to a destination if all parties work together to combine their strengths and indeed budgets.”

This week’s announcement marks the return of a route previously flown by Slovakian low-cost carrier SkyEurope Airlines. The failed carrier introduced flights in October 2007 and served the route until August 2009, also operating to Dublin, Manchester and Prague from Slovakia’s second city. According to UK Civil Aviation Authority data, 6,873 passengers flew between London Luton in 2007, 41,038 in 2008 and 28,544 in 2009, when SkyEurope flew the route. Alongside, the new Wizz Air route, Košice is currently served on a scheduled basis by Austrian Airlines from Vienna, Czech Airlines from Prague and Danube Wings from Bratislava and with seasonal charter links to the Black Sea, Mediterranean and North Africa with Bulgarian Air Charter, Nesma Airlines, Samair and Travel Service Airlines.