Air Arabia Abu Dhabi adds new aircraft as Wizz Air plans exit

Dubai: Air Arabia Abu Dhabi has expanded its fleet with the addition of two Airbus A320 aircraft, bringing its total fleet size to 12 aircraft.

The carrier also announced plans to add two more Airbus A320 aircraft before the end of the year. This planned fleet increase will boost total capacity by 40 percent in 2025, further reinforcing Air Arabia Abu Dhabi’s commitment to the growth of Abu Dhabi’s aviation sector and the emirate’s broader economic development.

Air Arabia group CEO Adel Al Ali said: “The addition of new aircraft and our strategic fleet expansion reflect our ongoing commitment to enhancing operational efficiency and expanding our network reach. This growth supports the rising demand for air travel to and from Abu Dhabi.”

“The planned capacity increase in 2025 will further contribute to the capital’s broader economic and tourism vision while continuing to offer value-driven air travel to our customers,” he added.

Air Arabia Abu Dhabi’s recent network expansions include new routes to Yerevan, Almaty, and Sialkot, further broadening its reach. The airline now connects Abu Dhabi with non-stop service to over 30 destinations across the Middle East, Africa, Central Asia, the Indian Subcontinent, and Eastern Europe, offering seamless travel options for residents, businesses, and visitors alike.

Since its launch in 2020, Air Arabia Abu Dhabi has emerged as a key enabler of air connectivity from the UAE capital, providing its customers with affordable and reliable air travel.

Etihad adds more routes

Air Arabia’s announcement comes just a day after Etihad Airways said it would launch flights to seven new destinations, including Almaty, Baku, Bucharest, Medina, Tbilisi, Tashkent and Yerevan.

The flights are set to go on sale over the next few days, and services will begin in March 2026, with Medina to start operating in November 2025.

These latest additions bring Etihad’s total number of new destinations for 2025 to 29, following earlier announcements of year-round routes and seasonal services.

Etihad’s CEO Antonoaldo Neves said: “Our goal is clear, we want to bring more people directly to Abu Dhabi. These new routes connect us to fast-growing, culturally rich regions and will help stimulate demand for tourism and trade in the UAE’s capital.”

Etihad has already celebrated inaugural flights to four new destinations this year – Prague, Warsaw, Sochi and Atlanta - and is set to add another 13 routes before the year closes.

The announcement comes just days after Etihad unveiled three new seasonal summer destinations for 2026: Krakow in Poland, Salalah in Oman, and Kazan in Russia, all set to operate during the peak travel months.

Wizz Air Abu Dhabi exits

Both Etihad and Air Arabia Abu Dhabi announced route expansions barely days after Wizz Air said it would be exiting its Abu Dhabi operations.

Wizz Air will stop all Wizz Air Abu Dhabi flights starting September 1, 2025, due to ongoing engine problems, regional tensions, and regulatory hurdles, the airline said on Monday.

These issues have made it harder to keep costs low for the Hungary-based carrier, so it is shifting its focus back to its main markets in Europe.

The airline had been operating in the UAE since 2020.