The airline Wizz Air announced today that it will suspend flights to the Moldovan capital Chisinau from March 14 due to concerns about the safety of its airspace, a decision that the Moldovan Civil Aviation Authority described as sudden and regrettable.

Wizz Air said in a statement that it will operate additional flights from the Romanian city of Iasi as a replacement, including a new flight to Berlin, and more flights to Barcelona, ​​Milan (Bergamo), Bologna, Rome (Ciambino, Fiumicino), Dortmund, Larnaca, London (Luton) and Treviso.

Flights to Budapest and Prague will not be replaced and flights to Chisinau will be reallocated to other destinations in the Wizz Air network, it said.

“Passenger and crew safety remains Wizz Air’s number one priority and following recent developments in Moldova and the increased, but not imminent, risk in the country’s airspace, Wizz Air has taken the difficult but responsible decision to suspend all flights to Chisinau from March 14,” he said.

Her foreign minister of Moldova Nikos Popescu said on Wednesday that his country is prepared for a “full range of threats”, given fears that Russia may step up efforts to destabilize the country, which has been roiled by war in neighboring Ukraine.

Tensions between Russia and Moldova have risen in recent months as Russian missiles targeting Ukrainian territory have entered Moldovan airspace and authorities have blamed the Kremlin for fueling anti-government protests, a charge Moscow denies.

Moldova’s civil aviation authority said the country’s authorities were informed by email of Wizz Air’s decision, adding that the airline had requested approval for its summer flight schedule on February 14 and received it today.

“After analyzing the risks, the government agencies found that flights in the national airspace can be carried out safely after a series of procedures and express their regret for the sudden decision of Wizz Air,” said a post on the official Telegram channel. of the government of Moldova.

It said the Civil Aviation Authority and the Ministry of Infrastructure and Regional Development were in “constant cooperation” with representatives of Wizz Air and informed them of the procedures in place to ensure aviation safety.

The aviation authority will take “all necessary measures” to return Wizz Air to Chisinau airport as soon as possible and attract other low-cost airlines.