Wizz draws up ambitious plans for flights from UK to Middle East and Asia

Hungarian low-cost airline Wizz Air is drawing up plans for flights from the UK to the Middle East and Asia as part of an ambitious expansion into the long-haul market.

The London listed carrier, which focuses on the European short-haul market, is planning trips out of the UK to destinations that could include the United Arab Emirates, Israel and Saudi Arabia.

It will use some of the 47 new longer-range single-aisle A321XLR planes it has on order from Airbus on the routes, said Marion Geoffroy, the managing director of Wizz Air UK.

The narrow body jet took its first flight in June, with the aircraft slated to enter service in 2024, according to Airbus.

“Of course, the UK would be a good market [for the XLR], and we’ve actually started the design of the potential network for XLRs and secured some designations to countries where we currently don’t fly to,” she said.

The airline, founded in 2004 and listed in London in 2015, has grown to become a major competitor to Ryanair in Europe’s low-cost market.

But it has suffered a difficult year and been badly exposed to the sudden rise in the price of jet fuel after abandoning fuel hedging during the pandemic.

Its shares, which hit record highs in 2021, have fallen nearly 70 per cent this year, as investors bet on Ryanair dominating the European low-cost market.

However, Wizz’s problems have not stopped the airline from extending its ambitions beyond Europe and come as it pursues a wider strategy of growth in the Middle East, where it has set up a joint venture in Abu Dhabi.

It has ruled out trying to crack the “overcompetitive” transatlantic market. There are also no plans to build long-haul networks used by traditional full-service airlines such as Emirates or Qatar Airways, Geoffroy said.

Given the worsening economic outlook for all airlines, she said Wizz had to be “rational” and “opportunistic” with its growth plans.

“The macroeconomic environment forces everyone to be very rational about capacity,” Geoffroy added.

The A321XLR has a range of 4,700 nautical miles and can fly for up to 11 hours, opening up routes traditionally served by wide-body planes to airlines that give priority to fuel efficiency and cheaper tickets.

Several airlines including US carrier Jet Blue and Ireland’s Aer Lingus already fly transatlantic flights on slightly older Airbus A321LR single-aisle jets.

Wizz plans to put more than 200 passengers on to the planes in the type of all-economy configuration typically used on shorter trips in Europe.

However, it is confident passengers will sacrifice comfort and in-flight entertainment for cheaper tickets.

“Passengers are prepared to fly up to seven, eight hours onboard these aircraft . . . the lowest cost will be always more attractive than getting hot chicken or movies that you have seen already,” Geoffroy said.