Hungarian budget airline Wizz Air is preparing to venture outside the European continent and enter the Middle East by establishing a subsidiary carrier in Abu Dhabi, UAE. From there Wizz Air is aiming to expand its ultra-low-cost long-haul model to India and Africa.
Wizz Air Abu Dhabi is the collaboration of the Hungarian airline with the United Arab Emirates and the Abu Dhabi Development Holding Company (ADDH) – established through a joint venture and with the operations that will start in the second half of 2020.
The airline will focus on creating routes to the markets where Wizz Air already has high-growth activities, namely Central, Eastern, and Western Europe but also the Indian subcontinent, the Middle East and Africa in the long run.
The Wizz Air Abu Dhabi fleet will initially consist only of Airbus A321neo. The establishment of a ultra low-cost airline in Abu Dhabi, according to the carrier’s development plan, will also contribute to the growth of the Emirate as a world-class cultural and tourist destination.
The establishment and launch of the new airline will be subject, as a rule, to the receipt of all necessary internal and external approvals and consents, and to the presence of the regulatory requirements requested by the General Civil Aviation Authority of the United Arab Emirates, that the new airline will have to meet to obtain the air operator certificate.
“Wizz Air Abu Dhabi will represent a further step on Wizz Air’s growth path, based on our successful low-cost business model, offering affordable travel to an increasing number of customers,” said József Váradi, managing director of Wizz Air Holdings. “We believe that the new airline has the potential to be an important player in the territory.”
Mohamed Hassan Al Suwaidi, CEO of ADDH said: “As a trusted government partner with a clear mandate to strengthen the key non-oil economy sectors of Abu Dhabi, we are proud to work with Wizz Air, an airline with a strong market presence and brand recognition in the main European markets.
Through our partnership with Wizz Air, we aim to capitalize on the growing demand for travel budgets and support the continuous development of Abu Dhabi as a world-class cultural and tourist destination “
