CEO of Wizz Air Jozef Varadi In an interview with "Vijesti", he said that resolving the problem of limited airport capacity in Podgorica was one of the key factors in establishing the airline's base at that airport, and that he is convinced of Montenegro's potential as an aviation market, especially for the growing number of tourists from Europe who are not yet sufficiently familiar with this destination, but that with improved air connections it will now be more accessible to them.
This Hungarian low-cost airline will open its 36th base in Europe in Podgorica from the start of the IATA summer season at the end of March 2026, where two Airbus A321 neo aircraft with crews and supporting technical staff will be stationed.
Varadi signed a memorandum about this yesterday with the Minister of Transport. Majom Vukićević and Executive Director of the Airport of Montenegro To Rok Tolić.
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In addition to the existing nine destinations that already fly from Podgorica year-round or seasonally, Wizz Air's new base will enable the company to introduce an additional 14 new regular routes from Montenegro: to Basel Mulhouse, Paris, Baden Baden, Cologne, Hamburg, Rome, Maastricht, Barcelona, Ljubljana, Malmo, Gdansk, Poznan, Rzeszow and Wroclaw.
Depending on the destination, these lines, which will be successively introduced from March to the end of June next year, will operate two to four times a week. Tickets are already on sale at prices starting from 19,99 euros.
The head of Wizz Air told "Vijesti" that resolving the problem of limited airport capacity in Podgorica was one of the key factors in establishing their base at that airport.
"We are certain that everything that needs to be done has been achieved to create the necessary conditions for carrying out the planned operations in full, so that we can realize this truly significant development step for Podgorica Airport but also for us at Wizz Air," emphasized Varadi, who is convinced of Montenegro's potential as an aviation market, especially for the growing number of tourists from Europe, among whom, as he said, this destination is not yet sufficiently known, but that with improved air connections it will now be more accessible to them.
He is convinced that the "airbus A321neo" with a capacity of 239 passengers is not too large for the needs of the new base in Podgorica and that it is precisely this "efficient economy of volume" that allows Wizz Air to offer the market lower airfares and attract as many people as possible to use air transport.
"We will immediately start hiring people to work at the new base. We will also offer retraining programs for Montenegrin pilots to obtain the so-called type rating for the "A321neo" because we already have extensive experience in this. It is also important that the cabin crew on these planes be as local as possible because we want Wizz Air to be perceived as an airline of the local community and for passengers to feel "at home", Varadi pointed out.
The Hungarian low-cost airline will open its 36th base in Europe in Podgorica from the start of the IATA summer season at the end of March 2026, where two Airbus A321 neo aircraft with crews and supporting technical staff will be stationed.
When asked what reaction he expects from his main competitor - the Irish low-cost airline Ryanair, which is also present in Montenegro and which, according to unofficial information, immediately after learning that Wizz Air was opening a base in Podgorica, expressed interest in doing so with two of its own aircraft, Varadi said that Wizz Air is "undoubtedly the leader in the aviation market in Southeast Europe."
"We are bigger and stronger than any other company here, including those guys (Ryanair), because every fourth passenger from this region flies with Wizz Air. It is logical to continue our expansion in the region, and Montenegro, which is a very open country and wants to join the EU, and which offers numerous investment opportunities, is the right address for such a move by which Wizz Air contributes to improving its air accessibility, which is of key importance for your economy," concluded Varadi.
He pointed out that by the end of 2027, Wizz Air will fully overcome the current problems with the supply chain in the airline industry and the servicing of Pratt & Whitney GTF engines, which are currently grounding 35 aircraft in its fleet of 244 aircraft. Despite this, Wizz Air's fleet is growing steadily as Airbus delivers an average of one new aircraft every two weeks. In 2024, Wizz Air, flying to 200 airports in 55 countries, carried 62,8 million passengers, achieved a turnover of 5,27 billion euros and recorded a profit of 213 million euros.
After signing the memorandum, Varadi reminded that they have been present on the Montenegrin market for nine years, that Wizz Air has so far transported a total of almost two million passengers to and from Montenegro, and that they are "proud to deepen our roots in Podgorica and bring new opportunities to the people of Montenegro."
"This base represents much more than just an operational expansion - it is a long-term investment in the future of Montenegro's mobility, economy and global connectivity," said Varadi.
ACG announced that this "represents a significant step in further growth in the country and a turning point in the transformation of the air transport sector and the economy of Montenegro."
"This expansion brings one million additional available airline seats per year and positions Podgorica as a vibrant connection to Europe. Tickets are already on sale at wizzair.com and via the WIZZ mobile app," ACG announced, noting that this is of exceptional importance for the Montenegrin economy in general, as it stimulates local employment and strengthens tourism, trade and transport connectivity of the country.
ACG Executive Director, Roko Tolić, emphasized that the announcement of the opening of the Wizz Air base is a big day for Montenegrin aviation.
"I am especially happy because this is one of the pieces of news that will make all citizens of Montenegro happy, but also the entire economy. However, we have this one day to celebrate because starting tomorrow - the continuation of important activities at ACG. In the short term, that is, before next spring, we urgently need to improve our infrastructure and operational capacities, to successfully organize the extension of working hours and to train new staff. We are ready for the third shift in Podgorica, and we are determined to develop the Airports of Montenegro to a level that matches the potential of this unique country," said Tolić.
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