Wizz Air to shut Doncaster base amid UK travel squeeze

Wizz Air Holdings Plc said it will shutter its base in Doncaster, England, beginning Friday after failing to secure guarantees over commercial terms at the airport, where it’s been flying since October 2020.

The Budapest-based discount carrier said Monday it will cancel all Wizz UK operations from the hub, known as Doncaster Sheffield, and that pilots and cabin crew have been offered the opportunity of flying out of another base in the country.

The move will help stabilize operations at other locations in the UK, minimizing disruption in light of staff shortages within air traffic control and at airports, the company said. Britain has suffered travel turmoil in the past week, with hundreds of flights canceled across a number of carriers.

Wizz said it remains committed to long-term growth in the UK and that affected passengers can rebook, get a full refund, or take a credit worth 120% of the original fare.