Wizz Air's four-plane flyover at Newport, Cardiff and Swansea

On Saturday afternoon four Wizz Air planes flew over Newport, Cardiff and Swansea to celebrate the airline’s launch in Wales.

Wizz Air, the new budget airline which is to create a new permanent base at Cardiff Airport, offering flights across Europe and Egypt, is launching on May 17, after coronavirus put paid to the initial March target launch.

Cardiff Airport will become the airline's fourth base in the UK, following Luton, Gatwick and Doncaster Sheffield.

Destinations will include resorts such as Alicante, Faro and Tenerife, as well as season routes to Corfu and Palma de Mallorca among other places.

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The new maintenance operation at the Rhoose site will start this week, and on Saturday four Airbus A321 planes arrived over south Wales together in celebration, before descending to give onlookers a better view.

Wizz Air, which says it will be offering “ultra-low fares”, encouraged onlookers to take photos and share them on social media with the hashtag #WIZZinWales.

The winner of the best photo competition will get two free tickets to Tenerife, the Algarve, or Sharm El Sheikh among other possible destinations.

The budget airline will create 40 jobs as it brings nine new routes in a much-needed boost for the airport which the Welsh Government announced it was propping up financially last week. The airline said the move will also indirectly create 250 further jobs in the supply chain.

A spokesperson said: “As Wales’ new hometown airline, Wizz Air UK looks forward to welcoming passengers onboard its young and green aircraft, to experience its great onboard service as they travel to their favourite destinations from Cardiff Airport post lockdown.”