Wizz Air will base its first Airbus A321XLR in Milan and will use it to launch the longest route in the network of destinations of the Hungarian low-cost carrier: Milan – Abu Dhabi, the Aviation Week portal reports.
Wizz Air will be among the first operators of Airbus A321XLR with Pratt&Withney engines GTF and expects to receive 8 aircraft during 2025. The Airbus A321XLR is currently certified only on CFM Leap engines, while certification on GTF engines is expected by the end of 2024.
Wizz Air announced the opening of the mentioned line on 2 June 2025, with daily flights to the United Arab Emirates capital. On the mentioned route, it will directly compete with Etihad Airways, which operates flights with Boeing 787, while offering up to 70% cheaper air tickets.
“The Airbus A321XLR is the most cost-efficient aircraft of its class,” Wizz Air CEO József Váradi stated for Aviation Week. “We are already flying several 5-6-hr.-long ultra-low-cost routes with great satisfaction to our customers, and the XLR will extend our outstanding value proposition to 7-8-hr.-long flights.”
