July 26 (SeeNews) - Hungarian low-cost carrier Wizz Air said it has suspended all of its flights to and from the Kukes airport in northern Albania only a year after introducing operations, citing difficulties in the operating environment as the reason for the decision.
“After careful consideration and analysis, we have decided to suspend operations to and from Kukës International Airport (KFZ) as a result of the challenges posed by the external environment, in particular the terrain and the weather, affecting the operational performance of our business and leading to customer disruption”, a Wizz Air spokesperson told SeeNews by email on Tuesday.
The airline said it had previously notified affected customers via e-mail and offered either a 120% refund of the original fare in airline credit, a 100% cash refund, or an alternative flight.
According to the airport’s website, the only bookable flights departing from the Kukes airport are with local air carrier Air Albania, to Zurich and Istanbul, which have been added earlier in July.
In June, Wizz Air announced the addition of ten new routes from Albania’s main commercial aviation terminal, Tirana International Airport, including a new direct line to Bulgaria.
“Wizz Air remains committed to long-term growth in Albania, creating hundreds of jobs while also stimulating the tourism and hospitality industries. Wizz Air has recently announced the allocation of a new aircraft to Tirana, growing the base to 11 aircraft, representing an investment of over 1.1 billion euro ($1.2 million) into Albania”, the carrier told SeeNews.
Wizz Air first announced Kukes airport operations in February last year, adding new routes from Kukes to Germany, France and Austria.
Albania inaugurated the Kukes International Airport - Zayed, Flatrat e Veriut in April 2021.
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