Wizz Air has announced plans to launch its longest range budget flight offering, from London Gatwick to Jeddah, using extra-long jets supplied by Airbus.
The Hungarian airline is the first ultra low-cost carrier to operate the single-aisle Airbus A321XLR, which can carry as many as 220 passengers at a range of 4,700 nautical miles.
Wizz Air said the aircraft would enable it to offer customers access to “distant destinations at significantly lower fares.”
Tickets will be more costly from the UK due to Air Passenger Duty (APD), at £134.99, while those flying from Jeddah will pay £89.99.
József Váradi, Wizz Air’s Chief Executive Officer, said: “The Airbus A321XLR is the most cost-efficient aircraft in its class. Its enhanced range capability allows Wizz Air to connect the farthest destinations in its network, while also providing opportunities for further expansion, connecting more cultures, economies and continents.”
At a press conference in London, Váradi ruled out tapping into the transatlantic market using the aircraft, saying Wizz would be “buried under the ocean” by competitors such as British Airways.
He said Jeddah, however, had become one of the airlines’ “rising stars” amid rapidly growing demand for tourism in Saudi Arabia. Another route between Milan Malpensa and Abu Dhabi will also start from 2 June 2025, operating daily flights.
The announcement is a bet from Wizz that prospective passengers will brush off concerns of low-cost style flying for the seven hour flight to Jeddah.
It also comes amid a push from Gatwick to tap into demand in the Middle East and Asia. The UK’s second biggest airport has signed deals with a number of Asian carriers over the last year and has increasingly sought to harness the long-haul market.
Gatwick’s chief executive Stewart Wingate said: “Wizz Air has grown consistently since opening its base here in 2020. This new type of aircraft will allow us to provide a wider range of routes and increase our capacity, offering our passengers even more travel opportunities.
“The development will play an important role in the further growth in our intercontinental network, as we look to offer more choice for passengers and work towards our vision to be the airport for everyone, whatever your journey.”