Wizz Air launches UK's first budget route to Middle Eastern country at low price (original) (raw)
Wizz Air launches UK's first low-cost route to Saudi Arabia and welcomes new planes
The Hungarian carrier Wizz Air will begin operating the route from London Gatwick to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia from March 31 next year using a new Airbus A321XLR plane
The new route will start next year
Budget carrier Wizz Air is gearing up to be the UK's first low-cost airline offering flights to Saudi Arabia, with promises of eye-poppingly low prices.
Set to start services between Gatwick Airport in West Sussex and Jeddah from March 31 next year, the airline plans to use the brand-spanking-new Airbus A321XLR for the journey. Wizz Air is waiting for delivery of 47 of these cutting-edge planes and plans to have Gatwick host the first to arrive. The big deal with these planes is their jumbo fuel tanks that allow them to fly non-stop for up to a whopping 11 hours while being greener, slashing fuel consumption by nearly a third per passenger compared to older birds, boasts Airbus.
Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday morning, Wizz Air's CEO Jozsef Varadi said: "The Airbus A321XLR is the most cost-efficient aircraft in its class. The [A321XLR is the] same aircraft essentially as the A321neo with 239 seats. The only difference is there is an extra fuel tank, which in simple terms means the aircraft is expected to be able to fly up to eight hours. The current aircraft can only fly up to six hours. It is first XLR in the United Kingdom and the first to be delivered to a company. We are expecting this aircraft to be delivered by Airbus in February."
Wizz Air will connect the UK and Jeddah from next March (
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One potential issue for passengers who fancy a trip to the Middle Eastern kingdom is that despite being a medium haul flight, the planes do not have reclining seats, meaning falling asleep may be a little difficult. The routes will start from £134.99 and the first flight will be 31 March, 2025. It will run daily from then.
It will be Wizz Air's longest flight yet at around seven hours to Jeddah and more than seven hours back to the UK. At the press conference Mr Varadi said Wizz Air was not interested in long haul of transatlantic flights. Last week the Milan to Abu Dhabi was the first route to be announced which will use the XLR, but the Jeddah will be the first to operate using the aircraft.
Saudi Tourism has been upfront about attempting to increase its tourist numbers to the country. Last week it introduced a new campaign entitled ‘This Land is Calling’, which invites international tourists to unearth Saudi’s legends and wonders. Tourism is at the core of crown prince Mohammed bin Salman’s plan to transform the nation by 2030, with a goal of 150 million visitors by that year. The monastic ruler wants tourism to be the second-largest contributor to the economy behind oil, at 10% of GDP.
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Not everyone is likely to jump at the chance to visit Saudi Arabia however, given its reputation for executing people and its shocking treatment of LGBTQ+ people.
With an eye on stretching its flight map even further, Mr Varadi added, "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. We are excited to offer unbeatable fares to our customers on the new route from London Gatwick to Jeddah."
Reflecting on the company's strategy since establishing at Gatwick in 2020, he noted, "Since establishing our base at London Gatwick in 2020, we have demonstrated ambitious growth, making it a natural, strategic decision to operate our first Airbus A321XLR from this airport.
Stewart Wingate, also speaking at the press conference, told reporters: "Today’s news is very exciting for us, it is Wizz Airs’ first XLR deployment but it is also ours and we are delighted to have it at Gatwick. WizzAir are playing a really major part in our success”