Aviation

Wizz Air Abu Dhabi aims for 25% business growth

By Pramod Kumar

January 26, 2024, 4:32 AM

Wizz Air has 12 aircraft based in Abu Dhabi, with plans to expand to 50 in the next four to five years

Low-cost carrier Wizz Air Abu Dhabi expects business to grow by 25 percent in 2024 compared to last year, driven by capacity growth.

The airline has 12 aircraft based in Abu Dhabi, with plans to expand to 50 in the next four to five years, the UAE state-run Wam news agency reported, citing CEO Jozsef Varadi.

In 2023, Wizz Air Abu Dhabi transported over three million passengers, setting a target of 10 million in the next four to five years.

The airline expects to receive over 300 new aircraft in the next six years, surpassing 500 by 2030.

“A significant portion of this new fleet will be based in the Middle East, specifically in the UAE,” the CEO said.

He pointed out that the significant growth in demand from the UAE led to doubling their business last year, with growth expected to increase this year.

Varadi said that Wizz Air is set to end the fiscal year strongly, as profitability and operational efficiency reached close to pre-Covid levels.

The airline saw a 20 percent annual increase and a 50 percent rise from 2020.

In December, Johan Eidhagen, managing director of Wizz Air Abu Dhabi, told AGBI that the airline is looking at expansion in Saudi Arabia and working with the authorities “to develop route opportunities”.

The airline flies to Dammam and Medina in the kingdom.

Wizz Air operated more than 15,000 flights and added seven new routes, including Antalya, Turkmenistan, Turkestan and Cairo, bringing the total number of destinations to 40 in 27 countries. The airline plans to add further routes and increase flight frequencies.