Wizz Air is in talks with airports across Europe to take over slots from distressed airlines that , Chief Corporate Officer Owain Jones said on Tuesday (13 October), weeks after Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary said his airline was taking a similar step.
Speaking on the sidelines of the World Aviation Festival in Lisbon, Jones said, “We are always negotiating deals with airports. That’s part of our business,” before taking aim at the Ryanair boss: “He [Michael O’Leary] likes to think they’re the only ones doing that.”
The comments highlight the growing competition between Europe’s two largest low-cost carriers for slots and market share, particularly in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE).
Ryanair has already launched new routes to the Baltic states after Latvian carrier airBaltic filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in September, and plans to double its Baltic passenger numbers over the next five years.
Jones said CEE remains Wizz Air’s core market, but the airline is looking closely at opportunities to expand in profitable markets elsewhere in Europe.
“We pulled back from our Middle East operations and we said that we want to reinforce our fortresses,” he said. Wizz Air suspended its Abu Dhabi operations in September 2025 and exited its joint venture there.
Jones added that the airline plans to expand further in Italy and will open new bases in Spain in the coming weeks. Its first Spanish bases open at Valencia on 2 November and Madrid on 3 November. They will support 17 new routes for winter 2026-27, including the carrier’s first domestic services in Spain.
Italy is already one of the ULCC’s most important markets. Its largest bases there are Rome Fiumicino, with 17 aircraft, and Milan Malpensa, with 12. It also has bases in Naples, Catania, Venice, Palermo and, since September, Turin.
