Airline Wizz Air on Monday said that it would suspend flights to the Moldovan capital, Chisinau, from March 14 due to concerns about the safety of its airspace, a decision Moldova’s civil aviation authority described as sudden and regrettable.
“Safety of the passengers and crew remain Wizz Air’s number one priority and following the recent developments in Moldova and the elevated, but not imminent, risk in the country’s airspace, Wizz Air has made the difficult but responsible decision to suspend all flights to Chisinau from the 14th of March,” Wizz Air said in a statement.
Moldovan Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration Nicu Popescu on Wednesday last week said that his nation was prepared for a “full spectrum of threats,” given fears Russia could intensify attempts to destabilize a country that is reeling from the war in neighboring Ukraine.
Photo: Reuters
Tensions between Russia and Moldova have grown as Russian missiles aimed at Ukraine have entered Moldovan airspace and authorities have blamed the Kremlin for fueling anti-government protests, something it denies.
Moldova’s civil aviation authority said authorities had been informed by e-mail of Wizz Air’s decision, adding that the airline had sought approval for its summer flight schedule on Feb. 14 and received it on Monday.
“After analyzing the risks, government agencies have determined that flights in the national airspace can be carried out safely by following a number of procedures, and they regret Wizz Air’s sudden decision,” a post on the Moldovan government’s Telegram channel said.
It said the civil aviation authority and the Moldovan Ministry of Infrastructure and Regional Development had been in “constant cooperation” with Wizz Air representatives and informed them of the procedures in place to ensure aviation security.
The aviation authority said it would take “all necessary actions” to return Wizz Air to Chisinau airport as soon as possible, and to attract other low-cost airlines.
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