Wizz Air has announced that it will completely withdraw from Vienna by March 2026 due to high airport fees and taxes in the Austrian capital.

For similar reasons, Ryanair, Wizz Air’s main rival, may also reduce its flights to Vienna, with CEO Michael O’Leary urging the government to reduce costs. Otherwise, he said more companies may withdraw, Mandiner reports based on an article out of Die Presse. 

Given this news, Austrian Airlines is looking at routes it could take over, but the airline’s CEO, Annette Mann, is also complaining about rising costs in Austria. She noted that Budapest does not have, for example, an airline tax, making it more competitive for airlines in the region. 

Ryanair cuts flights in Germany, Hungary poised to benefit

Overall, Die Presse notes that rising costs are becoming an issue for companies not just in the airline business but other sectors as well. 

Meanwhile, in Hungary, air transport, for both cargo and passengers, is booming. Remix News reported in June, tourism has been on a strong rebound since the end of Covid, and now Budapest may need an entirely new airport for its freight traffic due to the increase in tourists at the capital’s Liszt Ferenc International Airport.

As tourism booms in Hungary, Budapest is outgrowing its airport

Meanwhile, Hungarian-based Wizz Air is trying to make its own comeback.

In August, CEO József Váradi gave himself two years to turn the airline around after the cancellation of its Middle East expansion and various engine problems with its aircraft. The company’s shares had fallen sharply over these concerns. Váradi said he plans to focus on the Central and Eastern European market and avoid further risky expansions.

Váradi has maintained that there is room for both Wizz Air and Ryanair, its low-cost competitor.

At the time, the CEO ruled out the possibility of an acquisition or partnership, emphasizing the importance of independence and simplifying operations.