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Wizz Air Abu Dhabi
Low-cost airline of the United Arab Emirates (2019–2025) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Wizz Air Abu Dhabi (Arabic: ويز اير أبوظبي) was an Emirati low-cost airline based at Zayed International Airport in Abu Dhabi, the capital city of the United Arab Emirates. The company was a subsidiary of the Hungarian Wizz Air. In July 2025, the company announced the cessation of its operations from Abu Dhabi on 1 September 2025.[4]
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History
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Foundation
On 12 December 2019, it was announced by Wizz Air that it would be setting up a new subsidiary, based at Zayed International Airport, offering low-cost flights from the airport to tap into growth markets across the Middle East, Africa, and the Indian subcontinent.[5] The airline is a joint venture with state-owned Abu Dhabi Developmental Holding Company (ADQ)[6] (formerly, Abu Dhabi Developmental Holding Company, ADDH), which owns 51 per cent with Wizz Air Holdings owning the remaining 49 per cent.[7] Flights began in November 2020 with two Airbus A321neo aircraft, rising to 50 over the next few years.[5]
In July 2020, Wizz Air Abu Dhabi announced its initial route network, launching 6 destinations from its base in Abu Dhabi.[8] In an interview, Jozsef Váradi, chief executive of Wizz Air, said that the airline's fleet could grow to 100 aircraft in the next 15 years.[9]
In April 2021, as planned, Wizz Air added Abu Dhabi to its services, offering connections to Europe beyond the UAE to neighbouring Arab countries.[10]
Closure
In July 2025, Wizz Air announced it would cease all Abu Dhabi operations effective 1 September 2025, ending its six-year presence in the UAE to focus on its core European markets. It cited several challenges including geopolitical instability leading to airspace closures, extreme heat affecting engine efficiency, regulatory barriers limiting route permissions and operational constraints that undermined its low-cost model. The company's chief executive, József Váradi, called the decision "tough but necessary."[11] Later in an interview to The Daily Telegraph, he accused the Abu Dhabi government of favoritism to the government-owned flag carrier Etihad Airways, also owned by ADQ. According to Váradi, Wizz Air had planned to start routes to India and Pakistan as part of their investment memorandum and was granted permission to so however Abu Dhabi later decided to hand over their designation to Etihad.[12] Etihad Airways CEO Antonoaldo Neves responded that there is no favoritism toward Etihad by Abu Dhabi and that the aviation regulation in the UAE adhere to the universal principle of grandfather rights which is an international norms practice where incumbent carriers retain established traffic rights based on historical precedence, stating that he would not go to Paris and expect to take over traffic rights of Air France.[13]
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Destinations
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In March 2025, Wizz Air Abu Dhabi served these destinations:[14]
These destinations from Abu Dhabi were flown by the sister subsidiary Wizz Air Hungary (W6) or Wizz Air Malta (W4) and not by Wizz Air Abu Dhabi (5W):[17]
Austria: Vienna
Hungary: Budapest
Italy: Milan–Malpensa
Poland: Katowice, Kraków
Romania: Bucharest–Otopeni
Wizz Air Hungary/Malta formerly operated from these destinations to Abu Dhabi:
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Fleet
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At the time of its closure on 1 September 2025, Wizz Air Abu Dhabi operated the following aircraft:[citation needed]
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