Wizz Air has significantly scaled down its long-haul ambitions, announcing plans to cut its order for Airbus A321XLR narrowbody aircraft from 47 to just 10–15 units. The news comes from the airline’s April–June 2025 performance report, reviewed by avianews.com.
These 239-seat aircraft were intended to form the backbone of the carrier’s expansion from Abu Dhabi. However, the Wizz Air Abu Dhabi venture has proved unprofitable: the subsidiary will cease operations on 1 September 2025.
“We are rationalizing our A321XLR program to ensure we have the right fleet for the network design that delivers the strategy,” said Wizz Air CEO József Váradi.
A Unique Aircraft, Challenging Economics
The Airbus A321XLR is a unique model capable of flying up to 8,700 km non-stop. It was expected to revolutionise the long-haul market by enabling direct connections between secondary cities where demand does not justify widebody aircraft.
However, in Wizz Air’s high-density configuration — close to maximum seating — passenger comfort on long flights is compromised. This setup risks making journeys exhausting, potentially discouraging travellers. In fact, low demand has already led to the cancellation of the Milan–Abu Dhabi route.
Another challenge lies in the low-cost business model, which relies on high aircraft utilisation — often up to eight short flights per day. On long-haul routes, planes can operate only one or two sectors daily, increasing unit costs and reducing profitability.
New Focus: Europe Over the Middle East
Following the closure of its Abu Dhabi subsidiary, Wizz Air will refocus on key markets in Central and Eastern Europe, as well as Austria, Italy, and the UK.
Some of the ordered A321XLRs will be converted into standard A321neo, which are better suited to medium-haul European routes that deliver strong load factors and profitability.
Wizz Air’s move reflects a wider trend: low-cost carriers often struggle to compete on long-haul routes, where passengers expect greater comfort and operating costs are significantly higher than on medium-haul services.
