Wizz Air suspends flights to Moldova over safety concerns following escalation of geopolitical tensions

WIZZ Air, one of Europe’s largest low-cost airlines, announced that it will suspend all flights to Chisinau, the capital of Moldova, from Tuesday, March 14, citing safety concerns related to the country’s airspace. The decision comes after a Russian missile was fired over Moldovan airspace earlier this month, raising tensions in the region.’

Wizz Air’s decision was met with disappointment by Moldova’s civil aviation authority, which called it “sudden and regrettable”. It said it would take “all necessary actions” to return Wizz Air to Chisinau as soon as possible and to attract other low-cost airlines.

Wizz Air has said it will be increasing the number of flights to the eastern Romanian city of Iasi, located near the Moldovan border, to provide an alternative for travellers. The airline emphasised that the safety of its passengers and crew remains its top priority.

Moldova has one of the poorest economies in Europe and has been heavily impacted by war in neighbouring Ukraine. The country of 2.6 million people has struggled with an influx of Ukrainian refugees and tensions with Transnistria, a breakaway pro-Moscow region where some 1,500 Russian soldiers are stationed.