As with easyJet in the 2000s, other low-cost carriers started opening routes from Dortmund Airport. Ryanair has progressively added new routes from Dortmund, mostly to destinations around the Mediterranean and the UK. At one point, Spanish low-cost airline Vueling offered flights to Barcelona, but they have been discontinued despite strong demand. However, Wizz Air has been the most significant contributor to the airport's resurgence. The Hungarian low-cost airline began servicing the airport in the mid 2000s by operating several routes to Eastern Europe, in large parts due to the Ruhr's significant Slavic community. In June 2020, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Wizzair announced that Dortmund Airport would become its 33rd base, the first in Germany. However, a year later, Wizz Air announced the closure of their Dortmund base which led to the termination of few routes.wdr.de (German) 12 October 2021
