Friday, March 21, 2025
Universal Air announces exciting new flights from Debrecen to Malta and Leipzig, with the first flight set to take off on March 30, 2025, boosting regional travel.
Universal Air, the Maltese airline, has announced new flight routes from Debrecen International Airport to two highly sought-after destinations: Malta and Leipzig, Germany. The good news? The first flight will take off on March 30, 2025—just days away. This new initiative follows the airline’s earlier route operations from Pécs, though there were unexpected seasonal closures of their Munich and Malta flights between January and May last year. The airline plans to resume services from Pécs in May 2025.
Universal Air’s Previous Activity and Route Shifts
In the past, Universal Air operated a route connecting Pécs with Malta and Munich. This service began shortly before Hungary’s municipal elections in June 2024. The airline later expanded its network to include Corfu, Greece, with flights to both destinations running weekly. However, these routes were temporarily halted in January due to low winter demand, with plans to resume in May 2025. Local tourism experts and officials speculate that the closures were tied to poor aircraft utilization during the off-peak months.
Debrecen Airport’s New Developments and the Addition of Universal Air
In a strategic move, Universal Air is now expanding its operations to Debrecen, a city in Eastern Hungary. Debrecen’s airport faced significant challenges in 2024, including the closure of Wizz Air’s base and a sharp decline in regular flight services. Despite these setbacks, the airport’s management remained proactive, working with various airlines to revitalize the city’s air travel connections.
This persistence is paying off, as Debrecen is now seeing a resurgence in routes. Lufthansa has increased its services between Debrecen and Munich, from three to five weekly flights. Additionally, Wizz Air is reintroducing flights to Larnaca, Cyprus, starting April 1, 2025, operating twice a week until October. In addition, Debrecen will host charter services to destinations like Crete, Antalya in Turkey, and Monastir in Tunisia.
Furthermore, the Smartwings group, through its Hungarian subsidiary, is launching new routes to Barcelona, Spain, and Tirana, Albania, starting in June. Ryanair’s CEO, Michael O’Leary, has also hinted at a possible expansion to Debrecen, depending on competitive airport fees and predictability from Budapest Airport.
Universal Air Brings Direct Flights to Debrecen
Universal Air will soon add flights to Debrecen, marking its first direct connections from the city to Malta and Leipzig. The airline will operate De Havilland Canada Dash 8 aircraft, with the first flight from Malta scheduled for March 30, 2025. This flight will stop in Debrecen before continuing on to Leipzig. From there, the flight will return to Debrecen, and the same aircraft will head back to Malta the following day. These routes will operate twice a week—on Thursdays and Sundays—during the summer season.
Debrecen Airport saw a total of 220,000 passengers in 2024, with notable routes operated by Wizz Air to London and Lufthansa to Munich. In April 2025, Wizz Air will also restart its popular flight from Debrecen to Tel Aviv, Israel.
Leipzig and Debrecen Municipal Councils Excited About New Connections
The Leipzig municipal council expressed excitement over the new flight connection, highlighting the potential for increased air traffic and its positive impact on the city’s economy and tourism. Similarly, Debrecen’s local government celebrated 2024 as a record year for tourism, with over 690,000 guest nights, including 234,000 from international visitors. These new flight routes are expected to further boost the city’s appeal as a destination for both business and leisure travelers.
