Wizzair Provides Free Flights to Ukrainians

Wizzair has pitched in regarding the effort to help Ukraine from the ongoing Russian invasion. It has introduced two significant measures, first to assist Ukrainians from escaping, and second to pressure Russia economically. Namely, the air travel company has organized 100,000 free seats for Ukrainians during March on flights from neighboring countries. This concerns continental flights in Europe from Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, and Poland. Furthermore, the operator has already added extra flights that are larger than regular to the aforementioned countries.

Wizzair aims to help those afflicted by war reach wherever their desired destination may be. And as it realizes some refugees have already journeyed past their neighbors, it also offers a rescue fare. Wizzair will charge 29.99 euro for these rescue flights, excluding ones to and from Iceland, UAE, and the Canaries. For those destinations, their charge will be a bit steeper at 69.99 euro.

Ukrainians will need to book the flights beforehand, and they can do so at the link https://wizzair.com/#/rescue. Those booking the flight will need to provide their Ukrainian passport or ID on registration and check-in. It’s also worth noting that anything larger than a 40x30x20cm carry-on bag will incur additional charges.

Furthermore, the Budapest-based airline will also stop any flights coming or going from Russia. The suspension is indefinite and will assumedly last as long as the various sanctions on the country. As cited, the source for the suspension are operational reasons, meaning it may not be entirely voluntary.

The sanctions imposed on Russia have clauses that directly affect airlines. One of them is the fact that EU members can’t send any spare aircraft parts to the country. That’s what forced two KLM flights recently to stop mid-flight to Moscow and St. Petersburg and return to Amsterdam. As the situation evolves, Russia might be entirely cut off from air travel into the EU.