Abu Dhabi: European ultra-low-cost carrier (ULCC) Wizz Air announced the first route for its new Airbus A321XLR (extra-long range) aircraft on Wednesday, marking the airline’s entry into long-haul travel. Starting June 2, 2025, Wizz Air said it would commence direct daily flights between Milan and Abu Dhabi, with fares starting at Dh429.
Tamara Vallois, head of commercial at Wizz Air Abu Dhabi, told Gulf News that the route will be the first of many offerings that leverage the Airbus A321XLR’s extended range capabilities.
“We are the first ULCC to operate such an aircraft. There are 239 seats on this plane, and it is the most sustainable and effective way of travel. Passengers would not see a difference in airfares or comfort,” said Tamara.
She added, “This gives us an additional two hours of flying range from the 6 hours we currently operate at. We can unlock new destinations with the XLRs.”
The A321XLR, introduced by the French jet manufacturer in 2019, has a single-aisle configuration with as many as 244 seats. The aircraft has a flight time of up to 11 hours and a range of up to 4,700nm (nautical miles) and can connect destinations such as New York to Rome, London to Vancouver, Delhi to London, Sydney to Kuala Lumpur. Wizz Air expects deliveries for the aircraft to begin in late May 2025 and will serve these routes from June 2.
Wizz Air will operate daily non-stop flights from Abu Dhabi’s Zayed International Airport on this route. Nathalie Jongma, Vice President of Aviation Development at Abu Dhabi Airports said, “The deployment of the Airbus A321XLR on this route is noteworthy, as it allows for longer direct flights on narrow-body aircraft and underscores our commitment to providing travellers with a diverse range of destinations and a seamless travel experience.”
Route expansion amid delivery delays
The all-Airbus carrier, which has 47 of the XLRs on order, also hopes to announce more long-haul routes as it receives more aircraft in the coming years.
That said, the jet manufacturer has warned airlines of delivery delays, pushing back some deliveries scheduled for late 2024 and parts of 2025 by several months amid ongoing supply chain problems. The first of Wizz Air’s XLRs was expected to arrive in its fleet in February this year.
“We are in a very open dialogue with Airbus,” said Tamara. “Despite previous delays, Airbus is now adhering to the adjusted schedules, and we are confident that the delivery of XLRs will proceed as planned. By summer next year, we anticipate having three XLRs in service, with additional aircraft expected subsequently,” she added.
At the end of March this year, Wizz Air's delivery backlog totalled 326 aircraft, including 47 A321XLRs, 266 A321neos, and 13 A320neos. According to ch-aviation data, Wizz Air Abu Dhabi, a joint venture between Wizz Air and ADQ, is expected to take deliveries of 5 XLRs.
Moreover, Wizz Air Abu Dhabi has been awaiting regulatory nods from Indian aviation authorities since 2022.
Passenger growth
Wizz Air Abu Dhabi has seen a 40 per cent year-on-year growth, with passenger numbers rising to 2.3 million between January and September. “We currently operate 36 routes with 12 aircraft. It accounts for 14 per cent of Abu Dhabi’s overall passenger traffic,” said Tamara.
Over the summer, Wizz Air Abu Dhabi has launched several flash sales on airfares to address quieter periods.
“Over the summer, routes to underserved destinations such as Abu Dhabi to Bishkek, Samarkand, Tashkent, and Turkistan have performed well, alongside popular destinations like Baku, Athens, and Tel Aviv,” she explained.
Tamara said the airline has experienced temporary dips in passenger demand amid escalations in regional conflict. “However, as a national carrier of Abu Dhabi, we have managed to avoid cancellations and have seen a quick recovery in demand. We are closely monitoring news updates and maintaining a healthy booking curve for September and October,” said Tamara. She added, “With 2.3 million passengers in the first eight months, we are on track to approach 4 million passengers by the end of the year.”
