Central European budget carrier Wizz Air is closing its Vienna base, claiming that its costs have become too high, but is expanding its base at the Albanian capital Tirana.

Wizz Air says the Vienna closure will be “gradual”, with two of its five Airbus A321neos – as well as two routes, to London Gatwick and Bilbao – being withdrawn at the end of the summer season in late October.

The three remaining aircraft and the rest of the routes will be cut in mid-March 2026, ahead of the summer.

Wizz operates 28 routes from the Austrian capital.

“However, since the inception of [our] Vienna base, airport costs and taxes have increased significantly,” it says. “Operating from Vienna has become incompatible with the airline’s ultra- low cost business model.”

It says it is “committed to supporting all affected employees”, with options to relocate or take up other roles.

“This was a difficult but necessary decision to safeguard the long-term competitiveness of our business,” says Wizz Air Malta managing director Mauro Peneda.

Wizz still has a base in the Slovakian city of Bratislava, which lies close to Vienna.

It will also be developing its Central and Eastern European network with an expansion at Tirana.

Wizz will station another A321neo at Tirana in summer 2026, taking the fleet to 14, and open four new routes – to Stockholm Arlanda, Cologne, Billund and Tenerife – from December this year and March next year.

It will also use the additional capacity to raise frequencies on other routes to Germany, Belgium and Italy.