Wizz Air has started temporary flights from Madrid to Málaga and Seville to give travelers another option while high-speed rail service between the Spanish capital and Andalusia is suspended. The flights began on November 6 and will run until mid-December, with two daily departures on each route.
Fares start at €45.99, and the airline has capped prices at €99.99 on both routes. Wizz Air says the flights are meant for people who still need to get to work, visit family or make other essential trips while the trains aren’t running.
A response to the rail closure
The line was closed after a train accident in Urda, in the province of Toledo. Wizz Air expressed its solidarity with those affected by the accident and said the new routes are intended to ease the travel disruption that followed.
The airline has presented the flights as a temporary measure. So far, it has made no commitment to keep them running past mid-December.
Other airlines and bus operators add capacity
Wizz Air isn’t the only carrier stepping in. Iberia, Ryanair, Air Europa and Volotea have also announced extra capacity for passengers affected by the closure.
Bus operator Socibus plans to add more buses and seats, depending on demand, on its routes from Madrid to Andújar, Córdoba, Seville, Huelva and Cádiz.
When will the AVE return?
No date has been set for high-speed trains to resume. Service depends on repairs to the damaged infrastructure and on Adif, Spain’s rail infrastructure manager, reopening the line.
