Gibraltar has capitalised on its privileged non-quarantine status for visitors returning to the UK by securing a new service for airline travellers. Wizz Air – described as “Europe’s fastest growing and greenest airline” – announced this week that it would be launching a new route from London Luton Airport to Gibraltar Airport starting on 11 December.
Tickets are already on sale at wizzair.com and on the airline’s mobile app, with fares starting from £24.99. The flights will be operated on Mondays and Fridays.
Wizz Air will become the fourth airline operating out of Gibraltar, following British Airways (London Heathrow), EasyJet (London Gatwick, London Luton, Bristol and Manchester, plus a new route for Edinburgh starting on 30 March 2021) and Royal Air Maroc (Casablanca and Tangier in Morocco).
Hélity is also scheduled to launch commercial helicopter services between Gibraltar and Málaga-Costa del Sol Airport from today (30 October).
Wizz Air’s new services, “just in time for the festive season”, also includes a twice-weekly route to Madeira (Portugal). “Boasting warm year-round temperatures, these are the perfect destinations to enjoy some winter sun,” noted the airline company in a news release. “Both destinations are perfect for adventurers, (including) Gibraltar’s truly unique nature reserve, home to the world-famous Barbary Macaques.”
Wizz added that it was encouraging passengers to add “Wizz Flex” to their booking, so they could “cancel their flight up to three hours before departure without any fee and get 100 per cent of the original fare immediately reimbursed in airline credit, as well as change dates and even routes for added peace of mind during these uncertain times”.
Welcoming the new service, Gibraltar’s minister for business, tourism, transport and the port, Vijay Daryanani, said, “I’m delighted to welcome a new airline to Gibraltar and to see the resumption of services from Luton for this winter. In these challenging times it is encouraging to see an operator such as Wizz Air UK putting their faith in Gibraltar as a destination.
“The service will open up the North London catchment area once again, providing more options to our existing air services. Gibraltar International Airport has been performing very well considering the current pandemic, and we hope that this service and Wizz Air UK’s relationship with us will grow and evolve.
“This Government is committed to attracting new carriers and to the expansion of air services and will continue to pursue these, even whilst facing one of the most testing times the travel and tourism industry has ever encountered.”
According to Wizz Air UK managing director Owain Jones, “Wizz Air UK continues to lead the way in getting the UK flying again, safely. We are delighted to be announcing yet more new routes for our UK customers, who we know want to travel, especially with the winter months looming. That’s why we are wasting no time by introducing exciting holiday destinations to our UK network, with genuinely affordable fares.
“With over 70 routes from London Luton to choose from, passengers have even more opportunity to escape to their dream destination, whether it’s discovering the unique Mediterranean peninsula of Gibraltar or exploring the stunning volcanic island of Madeira. Wherever passengers are headed, they can be assured that they are travelling with an airline that has led the industry with enhanced health and safety measures, and that operates with the lowest CO2 emissions in Europe.”
