Wizz Air Accelerates Spanish Expansion With New Santiago de Compostela Base

Wizz Air is significantly accelerating its expansion in Spain. The Hungarian airline announced this week that it will open its permanent base at Santiago de Compostela Airport on December 17—well ahead of the original February 2027 target. This move strengthens the airline's position in Galicia and allows it to fill the gap left by other carriers in a highly competitive market.

The new base at the Rosalía de Castro terminal will house one permanently assigned aircraft. Wizz Air will use Airbus A320 and A321neo models to serve five domestic routes—Tenerife North, Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura, Malaga, and Zaragoza—alongside international flights to Rome Fiumicino and Warsaw Modlin. This expansion follows the recent opening of bases in Madrid and Valencia, further cementing the airline’s growing network in Spain.

Additionally, the airline is diversifying its routes elsewhere in the country. Starting in late December, Wizz Air will launch year-round flights from Barcelona and Madrid to Brasov, Romania, and a new route connecting Valencia to Chisinau, Moldova, which will operate three times a week.

This shift in the Spanish aviation market comes as Ryanair scales back its operations. Ryanair has been critical of the airport fees charged by Aena, the Spanish airport operator, and has progressively reduced its capacity across the country. After closing its Santiago base for the 2025-2026 winter season—resulting in the cancellation of routes to Vigo and Tenerife North—Ryanair also implemented cuts in Valladolid, Jerez, and Asturias, citing unsustainable costs. While Ryanair continues to operate some flights in Santiago, Wizz Air’s rapid expansion is a clear move to capture the demand left behind by the Irish carrier.