NEW DIRECT BOLOGNA-PALERMO ROUTE: WIZZ AIR STRENGTHENS ITS DOMESTIC NETWORK FROM EMILIA-ROMAGNA

Wizz Air, the airline that carried more than 21 million passengers in Italy in 2025, and the management company of Bologna Marconi Airport are today taking a further step forward in their growth journey in Emilia-Romagna with the launch of a new domestic route between Bologna and Palermo.

The new connection represents a strategic consolidation of Wizz Air’s presence in Bologna and a concrete response to the growing demand for connectivity between Emilia-Romagna and Sicily. The partnership with Bologna Airport is thus enriched by a key route, facilitating travel from the Emilian capital to one of the Mediterranean’s main tourist and cultural hubs.

Operating from 1 August 2026, the route will be served with as many as 11 weekly frequencies, offering ideal flexibility for business and university travel as well as for leisure flows in both directions. All flights will be operated with modern Airbus A321neo aircraft, renowned for their comfort, low noise levels and reduced emissions . Tickets are already available on wizzair.com and via the official WIZZ app, starting from €14.99.

The new Bologna–Palermo route is not just a domestic connection, but a true strategic bridge linking two of Italy’s most vibrant and identity-defining cities. On the one hand, the Sicilian capital, a gateway to the Mediterranean and home to a unique Arab-Norman heritage; on the other, Bologna, the “Learned City,” a beating heart of Italy’s economy and academic life. By directly connecting these two centres, Wizz Air responds to the needs of a broad range of travellers: from university students to professionals, as well as those eager to discover the gastronomic and cultural excellence that connects the North and the South of the country. This route enhances the central role of both territories on the national stage, enabling smooth and continuous exchanges that strengthen Italy as a whole.

“With the announcement of the Bologna–Palermo route, we are enthusiastically continuing our expansion plan from Guglielmo Marconi Airport,” said Salvatore Gabriele Imperiale, Corporate Communications Manager at Wizz Air. “Bologna plays an important role in our strategy in Italy, and this new connection to Sicily confirms our commitment to investing locally. We want to offer passengers in Emilia frequent services and affordable fares to outstanding destinations, while also encouraging new tourist flows into one of Northern Italy’s most dynamic regions. Let’s WIZZ, Bologna!”

"We are very pleased," added Antonello Bonolis, Director of Business Aviation at Bologna Airport "with the strengthening of Wizz Air in Bologna, an international airline that is the second-largest operator at our airport. The connection to Palermo is not new for Marconi, but Wizz Air's 11 flights make travel to and from Sicily, one of our passengers' most popular destinations, even easier."

The introduction of this route is crucial to the development strategy of Bologna International Airport, which continues to position itself as a key connectivity platform for the country. In 2025 alone, Wizz Air carried more than 1,100,000 passengers from Bologna, and nearly 8 million since the start of operations in 2008. This new frequency aims to capture high-potential segments, making a significant contribution to strengthening relations between Bologna’s industrial ecosystem and the Sicilian region, facilitating commercial exchanges and the de-seasonalisation of tourist flows.

From Bologna, Wizz Air currently offers a total of 11 routes to 6 countries. The new Bologna–Palermo service becomes the airline’s twelfth route from the airport, joining popular and steadily growing connections such as those to Tirana, Catania, Warsaw and Bucharest.

This new route is part of a phase of strong growth for Wizz Air in the Italian market, supported by the reopening of the Palermo base and ongoing investments across the entire peninsula. This path has enabled the airline to achieve a market share of over 10% and to position itself as Italy’s second-largest airline.
In 2025, Wizz Air carried more than 21 million passengers in Italy (+8% vs 2024) and operated over 92,000 flights; in 2026, it will serve 26 Italian airports, offering more than 27 million seats (+20% vs 2025) and planning over 120,000 flights. With 33 aircraft based throughout the year and almost 280 active routes to more than 30 countries, Italy remains the airline’s largest market worldwide in terms of passengers carried.