Airline suspends flights to Moldova

MISE À DAY

Hungarian low-cost carrier Wizz Air on Monday announced the suspension of all routes to Moldova, citing security concerns amid heightened tensions with Moscow.

“Due to recent developments and the high, although not imminent, risk in the country's airspace, Wizz Air has taken the difficult but responsible decision to suspend all flights to Chisinau from March 14,” explains the group in a press release.

A republic of 2.6 million inhabitants with a pro-European government located between Romania and Ukraine, Moldova has been feared since the start of the offensive to be Moscow's next target and has in recent weeks reported “attempts to destabilize”.

It had closed its airspace in the early hours of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the February 24, 2022.

Flights resumed on March 21, but since then the country has been overflown by Russian missiles, particularly in October 2022 and last January.

Remains of aerial projectiles were also found on Moldovan territory on several occasions.

On February 14, the airspace was briefly closed as a precaution after the detection of “a flying object resembling a weather balloon”.

The Ministry of Infrastructure said it “regrets the decision” of Wizz Air, assuring in a press release that the flights, “which respect a certain number of procedures could be carried out in complete safety”.

This is of the first company to make such a decision. Wizz Air was operating 18 routes from Chisinau with three aircraft based at the airport, a third of the total capacity, according to a statement dated September 2022.

Romanian national carrier Tarom as well as Air Moldova and Turkish Airlines continue to serve the Moldovan capital.