THE PALERMO-TURIN FLIGHT TAKES CENTRE STAGE AT THE CEREMONY AT FALCONE BORSELLINO AIRPORT, ATTENDED BY MAYOR ROBERTO LAGALLA. THE AIRLINE LAUNCHES OPERATIONS WITH TWO BASED AIRBUS A321NEO AIRCRAFT AND HAS ALREADY ANNOUNCED THE ARRIVAL OF A THIRD AIRCRAFT.
“THE MARKET RESPONSE ENCOURAGED US TO STRENGTHEN THE BASE EVEN BEFORE ITS OPENING” – IAN MALIN. “A DECISION OF MAJOR STRATEGIC VALUE FOR GESAP AND FOR SICILY AS A WHOLE” – GIANFRANCO BATTISTI
Wizz Air, Italy’s second-largest airline by market share, and GESAP today celebrated the opening of the airline’s base at Palermo Falcone Borsellino International Airport with a ceremony attended by local institutions, airport stakeholders, crew members and passengers.
In the presence of the Mayor of Palermo, Roberto Lagalla, the airline chose its Palermo–Turin service to mark this important milestone with a traditional ribbon-cutting ceremony and a special moment dedicated to departing passengers.
The choice of route underlines the central role of domestic connectivity in Wizz Air’s strategy, which is designed to strengthen mobility between Sicily and Italy’s main cities. From Palermo, Wizz Air currently connects the Sicilian capital with Milan Malpensa, Bologna, Venice, Turin, Rome Fiumicino and Pisa, providing affordable travel options both for business travellers and for the many people maintaining family and personal ties between Sicily and the rest of the country. The Palermo–Turin service is currently operated daily and will increase to twice-daily flights from 14 September.
The opening of the base brings two Airbus A321neo aircraft to Falcone Borsellino Airport and supports the launch of a new programme of domestic and international services:
- Palermo-Turin, operated daily since 4 May, with fares starting from €14.99;
- Palermo-Milan Malpensa, operated twice daily from 1 August, for a total of 14 weekly frequencies, with fares starting from €14.99;
- Palermo-Bologna, operated with 11 weekly frequencies from 1 August, with fares starting from €14.99;
- Palermo-Venice, operated with 10 weekly frequencies from 1 August, with fares starting from €14.99;
- Palermo-Tel Aviv, operated every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday from 1 August, with fares starting from €39.99;
- Palermo-Sharm El Sheikh, operated every Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday from 2 August, with fares starting from €39.99.
These services complement the routes already launched from Palermo to Warsaw Modlin, Bratislava, Belgrade, Sofia and Skopje. Strong demand in the Palermo market has enabled Wizz Air to expand its investment even before the official opening of the base. From 6 September, a third Airbus A321neo will be based at Falcone Borsellino Airport, bringing the total number of Wizz Air aircraft permanently stationed at the airport to three.
The expansion supported by the third aircraft includes six additional routes:
- Palermo-Rome Fiumicino, operated three times daily from 1 August, for a total of 21 weekly frequencies, with fares starting from €24.99;
- Palermo-Barcelona, operated four times weekly from 6 September, with fares starting from €24.99;
- Palermo-Prague, operated four times weekly from 6 September, with fares starting from €24.99;
- Palermo-Marrakech, operated three times weekly from 7 September, with fares starting from €29.99;
- Palermo-Dortmund, operated three times weekly from 8 September, with fares starting from €29.99;
- Palermo-Pisa, operated with 10 weekly frequencies from 25 October, with fares starting from €19.99.
Following the recent addition of a three-times-weekly service to Tirana, operating every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from 27 October, Wizz Air will offer 18 routes from Palermo to 13 countries and more than 1.3 million seats in 2026. The airline will consequently become the second-largest carrier at Palermo Airport, with an expected market share of approximately 16%. Prague, Marrakech and Dortmund will also be served exclusively by Wizz Air from Falcone Borsellino Airport.
The investment will also deliver significant economic and employment benefits. The three aircraft based in Palermo will create a total of 120 direct jobs and support more than 1,050 indirect jobs across the local economy, particularly in the aviation, tourism, logistics and service sectors.
Ian Malin, Chief Commercial Officer at Wizz Air, said: “The opening of our Palermo base marks an extremely important day for Wizz Air, for our partner GESAP and, above all, for the city and for all Sicilian passengers. Palermo is not simply another base within our network. It is a region in which we have chosen to invest with conviction, building a stable, deeply rooted presence that is designed to grow over time. We wanted to celebrate this moment together with the city, its institutions, our crews and the passengers travelling on our flight to Turin, because people are at the heart of this investment. The decision to dedicate today’s ceremony to a domestic service was not accidental. Domestic routes are an essential part of our commitment to Italy and respond to the real needs of people travelling for work, education, tourism or to reunite with their families. Strengthening connections between Palermo and cities such as Turin, Milan, Bologna, Venice, Rome and Pisa means bringing Sicily closer to the rest of the country and providing Sicilians with greater freedom to travel through high-frequency services and affordable fares. The enthusiasm generated by the opening of this base has been extraordinary, not only among passengers, institutions and local operators, but also within our airline. From the very beginning, Palermo has inspired and engaged our colleagues, quickly becoming one of the projects closest to our hearts as part of our growth in Italy. This enthusiasm reflects how strongly Wizz Air now feels part of the country and how our journey towards becoming an increasingly Italian airline also depends on our ability to understand the needs of local communities, speak with their voice and invest in the regions we serve. The response from the Palermo market has been so strong that it encouraged us to reinforce the base even before its official opening, announcing the arrival of a third aircraft and six additional routes. We firmly believe in Palermo’s potential as a major European and Mediterranean city, in its ability to attract visitors throughout the year and in the role that broader connectivity can play in supporting tourism, the economy and local employment. Amunì Palermo, Let’s WIZZ!”.
Gianfranco Battisti, Chief Executive Officer of GESAP, said: “The opening of Wizz Air’s new base at Palermo Airport represents an achievement of major strategic value for GESAP and for Sicily’s entire economic and tourism ecosystem. This is not merely the operational establishment of a new base, but further confirmation of our airport’s growing attractiveness, the credibility of the industrial development path we have undertaken and the airport’s ability to compete successfully in the international market. Wizz Air’s decision is the result of an ongoing dialogue, a shared vision and work focused on creating the best possible conditions for the development of air traffic, the expansion of international connectivity and the sustainable growth of the region. An operating base generates investment, skilled employment, greater stability in the services available and new opportunities for citizens, businesses and tourism operators. It strengthens Palermo’s role as a gateway to the Mediterranean and consolidates the airport’s position within the development strategies shaping European mobility. I would like to thank Wizz Air’s management, and Ian Malin in particular, for the trust placed in GESAP and in the city of Palermo. We are confident that this partnership will continue to develop over the coming years, helping to make our airport increasingly competitive, international and central to Sicily’s economic growth.”
To celebrate the opening of the base, Wizz Air has also launched a special promotion offering discounts of up to 15% on selected flights to and from Palermo and on selected routes operated from Catania. The promotion applies to bookings made between 31 July and 2 August 2026 for travel between 5 August and 10 December 2026.
The opening of the Palermo base forms part of Wizz Air’s broader growth journey in Italy. Since launching operations in the country in 2004, almost 140 million passengers have chosen the airline to travel to and from Italy. In 2026, Wizz Air operates a network of 329 routes to 33 countries and has 45 aircraft based across its seven Italian bases in Catania, Milan Malpensa, Naples, Palermo, Rome Fiumicino, Turin and Venice.
During the summer season alone, the airline is offering 20.3 million seats, representing an increase of 43.6% compared with summer 2025. Since the beginning of the year, Wizz Air has already operated 66,000 flights in Italy, an increase of 25% compared with the same period last year, reaffirming its commitment to strengthening the country’s domestic and international connectivity.
