Wizz Air Abu Dhabi
Wizz Air Abu Dhabi is an Emirati scheduled low-cost airline based at Abu Dhabi International Airport. The airline is a joint venture with state-owned ADQ[2] (formerly, Abu Dhabi Developmental Holding Company, ADDH), which owns 51 percent with Wizz Air Holdings owning the remaining 49 percent.[3] Flights began in November of 2020 with two Airbus A321neo aircraft, rising to 50 over the next few years.[4]
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| Founded | 12 December 2019 | ||||||
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| Hubs | Abu Dhabi International Airport | ||||||
| Fleet size | 4 | ||||||
| Destinations | 25 | ||||||
| Parent company | Wizz Air | ||||||
| Headquarters | Abu Dhabi | ||||||
| Website | www.wizzair.com | ||||||
History
On 12 December 2019, it was announced by Wizz Air that it would be setting up a new subsidiary, based at Abu Dhabi International Airport, offering low cost flights from the airport to tap into growth markets across the Middle East, Africa and the Indian subcontinent.[4]
In July 2020, Wizz Air Abu Dhabi, announced its initial route network launching 6 destinations from its base in Abu Dhabi.[5]
In an interview, Jozsef Váradi, CEO of Wizz Air said that the airline's fleet could grow to 100 aircraft in the next 15 years.[6]
On 15 January 2021, first Wizz Air Abu Dhabi flight departed from Abu Dhabi to Athens.
Inaugural flight
Wizz Air Abu Dhabi inaugural flight destined for Athens, planned to take off from Abu Dhabi International Airport on January 15, 2021.[3][7] Differing from the initial announcement, the second route will start between Abu Dhabi and Thessaloniki on February 4, 2021.[8]
Destinations
The destinations Sofia, Bucharest, Budapest, Cluj, Katowice, Bari and Catania are flown by the sister subsidiary Wizz Air (W6) and not from Wizz Air Abu Dhabi (5W).
Fleet
As of November 2021, the Wizz Air Abu Dhabi fleet consists of the following aircraft:[10]
| Aircraft | In service | Parked | Total | Orders | Passengers | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airbus A321neo | 3 | 1 | 4 | — | 239 | ||
| Total | 3 | 1 | 4 | — | |||
References
- "Airline Code Full Details - Wizz Air Abu Dhabi". avcodes.co.uk.
- "Abu Dhabi Developmental Holding Company becomes ADQ and expands portfolio". www.sme10x.com. Retrieved 2020-12-30.
- Nagraj, Aarti (2020-12-29). "Low-cost airline Wizz Air Abu Dhabi to begin flights to inaugural destination Athens in Jan". Gulf Business. Retrieved 2020-12-30.
- Powley, Tanya (12 December 2019). "Wizz Air to set up low-cost airline in Abu Dhabi". Financial Times.
- Liu, Jim (12 July 2020). "Wizz Air Abu Dhabi schedules October 2020 launch". Routesonline.
- "Wizz Air chief predicts 100-aircraft Abu Dhabi operation". Flightglobal. 22 July 2020.
- "UAE's new airline set to launch flights on January 15".
- "WIZZ – Dream more. Live more. Be more".
- Godinho, Varun (5 August 2021). "Wizz Air Abu Dhabi to begin flights to Tirana and Sarajevo". Gulf Business.
- "Wizz Air Abu Dhabi Fleet Details and History". www.planespotters.net. Retrieved 2020-09-11.