Wizz Air’s Modlin Return Heats Up Poland’s Low-Cost Battle

Wizz Air’s decision to return to Warsaw Modlin Airport (WMI) after a 13-year absence is set to intensify its rivalry with Ryanair in Poland, as the two carriers ramp up their battle for dominance in the country’s fast-growing low-cost market.

The Hungarian airline has confirmed that it will base two Airbus A321neo aircraft at Modlin and launch 11 new routes beginning in December. Initial services to Athens, Barcelona and Bergen will begin Dec. 1, followed by additional destinations including Bergamo, Chișinău, Malta and Palermo from mid-December onward.

Most routes will operate three to five times per week, with daily service to Bergamo and 6X-weekly flights to Malta planned for the winter season. Wizz expects to offer more than 500,000 seats annually from the airport, located about 25 mi. north of the Polish capital.

Wizz had suspended operations at Modlin in 2012 due to runway issues, but is now returning as part of a broader network shift toward strengthening its presence in core Central and Eastern European markets.

Faced with ongoing groundings across its A320neo-family fleet due to Pratt & Whitney GTF engine issues, the airline is reducing its exposure to “hot and harsh” environments such as Abu Dhabi. In contrast, Poland—along with Hungary and Italy—has been identified as a key growth market.

Wizz’s return to Modlin follows an announcement from Ryanair earlier this month. On July 8, the Irish ULCC signed a multi-year agreement with WMI to triple its annual passenger traffic—from 1.5 million to more than 5 million by 2030. The deal includes airport upgrades by 2027 and a commitment by Ryanair to increase its base from four to eight Boeing 737s and add up to 25 new routes.

“Over the next three years, thanks to close cooperation between Ryanair and the airport, Warsaw Modlin will once again be the fastest-growing airport in Poland,” Ryanair Group CEO Michael O’Leary said.

Ryanair is currently the only scheduled airline operating at Modlin, offering 35 destinations and approximately 17,700 weekly departure seats, according to OAG Schedules Analyser data. However, the carrier has scaled back its footprint in recent years amid previous disputes over airport charges, shifting some capacity to Warsaw Chopin Airport (WAW).

Wizz, meanwhile, has a significant presence at WAW and is also flying from Warsaw Radom Airport, giving it a combined 22.8% market share in the Warsaw area, compared with Ryanair’s 8.1%. LOT Polish Airlines continues to lead with 46.9%—although its share has declined from 49% in summer 2019.

Analysis of OAG data shows that LCCs now account for 60.2% of all departure seats in Poland for summer 2025, up from 52.4% in 2019—underscoring the segment’s continued expansion. Ryanair remains the market leader, with approximately 32.5% of all seats from and within Poland this summer, followed by LOT and Wizz Air, each holding around 23.1%.

Despite Wizz Air’s renewed push at Warsaw Modlin, Ryanair appears unfazed. Speaking during the airline’s July 21 earnings call, O’Leary said: “We were somewhat amused ... if Wizz wants to base more aircraft in Central and Eastern Europe, all it will do is highlight the enormous cost advantage and price advantage Ryanair has over Wizz and all of our other competitors.”