- Wizz Air is set to launch new long-haul routes using its upcoming Airbus A321XLR.
- The first flights, a seven-hour trek, will start in March between London and Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
- Wizz Air will offer significantly cheaper fares compared to competitors like British Airways.
Low-cost carrier Wizz Air is banking that price-sensitive customers will book its new no-frills narrowbody planes to save money on long-haul flights — and it’s not being shy about the cabin.
The Hungarian carrier announced in September that its first Airbus A321XLR flight would start in March, trekking seven hours between London Gatwick and Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Wizz has also scheduled a similar-length A321XLR route between Milan and Abu Dhabi from June.
The new A321XLR jet has gained hype for its extended range that can reach 5,400 miles, or 11 hours, nonstop — opening new route opportunities previously unreachable or unprofitable for airlines.
Wizz has opted for the same high-density, all-economy cabin it uses on its A321neos for its future A321XLR fleet, which it believes customers will be willing to tolerate for cheap tickets.
“15, 20 years ago, I thought three hours would test passenger tolerance, and then we pushed it to six hours, and we are still fine,” Wizz CEO József Váradi said during a September press conference in London. “You kind of suffer the pain, if you wish, for the economic benefits that you are deriving from the transaction.”
The carrier’s London to Jeddah ticket prices start at about £135 (about $180) one-way — about one-third the fare of British Airways. Milan to Abu Dhabi starts at about £110 (about $145) one-way, more than half the price of UAE-based Etihad Airways, which also flies the route.
Wizz’s new long-haul flights on the A321XLR won’t even come with free water.
