GENEVA: Wizz Air Holdings Plc, the largest low-cost airline in Central and Eastern Europe, announced that Wizz Air Abu Dhabi, a national airline of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will start operations on 1 October 2020.

The airline will base two brand new, state-of-the-art Airbus A321neo aircraft in Abu Dhabi, with an initial network of six new routes to Alexandria, Athens, Kutaisi, Larnaca, Odesa and Yerevan.

Wizz Air Abu Dhabi, a joint-venture established between ADQ, one of the region’s largest holding companies, and Wizz Air Holdings Plc, received national carrier status from the UAE government, subject to meeting regulatory standards prior to starting operations.

Four additional, ultra-modern Airbus A321neo aircraft will be allocated in the first 6 months of operation, with the route network on these aircraft to be announced in due course. Wizz Air currently has five additional routes to Abu Dhabi on sale from Bucharest, Budapest, Cluj-Napoca, Katowice and Sofia.

József Váradi, Wizz Air’s Chief Executive Officer said: “I am delighted to announce the initial network of Wizz Air Abu Dhabi and reconfirm the start of its operations on 1 October. This announcement is the first step of a long and much awaited journey as we are dedicated to developing our presence in Abu Dhabi, contributing to Abu Dhabi’s economic diversity strategy while offering ever more affordable travel opportunities on our low fare network. We much appreciate the support we have been given by the government, its affiliated organizations and our local business partners in Abu Dhabi.

Our state-of-the-art Airbus A321neo aircraft, as well as our enhanced protective measures will ensure the best possible sanitary conditions for travellers. Wizz Air is the lowest cost producer operating the youngest and economically most efficient fleet of aircraft with the lowest environmental footprint. I’m confident Wizz Air will make a profound impact on the United Arab Emirates’ economic development and the ramp up of its tourism industry.”

Wizz Air, the largest low-cost airline in Central and Eastern Europe, operates a fleet of 124 Airbus A320 and A321 aircraft, one of the youngest airline fleets in the world and offers more than 710 routes from 33 bases, connecting 155 destinations across 45 countries. A team of dedicated aviation professionals delivers superior service and very low fares, making Wizz Air the preferred choice of 40 million passengers in the past 12 months. Wizz Air is listed on the London Stock Exchange under the ticker WIZZ.