Wizz Air is to base its first Airbus A321XLR (Extra Long Range) at London Gatwick, with the first route annouced.
Fancy 7 hours aboard one of these? Image Airbus/Wizz Air.
With Wizz Air’s first Airbus A321XLR aircraft arriving in March 2025 the airline will launch a direct route from London Gatwick to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on the 31st March 2025.
The move supports Wizz Air’s rapid growth and will revolutionise the travel experience for passengers travelling from the UK. The extended reach and efficiency of the Airbus A321 XLR will enable the airline to offer direct access to distant destinations at significantly lower fares, connecting more cultures, people and economies with affordable fares.
The new route, lasting nearly 7 hours, will be the first of many to leverage the extended range and efficiency of the Airbus A321XLR. Additionally, another new Wizz Air A321XLR aircraft will be based in Italy, operating a daily flight between Milan Malpensa and Abu Dhabi, starting from 2 June 2025.
Tickets are already on sale via Wizz Air’s channels, with lead-in fares from £134.99.
In Quotes
On the Gatwick-Jeddah planned route launch, József Váradi, Wizz Air’s Chief Executive Officer,said:
“The Airbus A321XLR is the most cost-efficient aircraft in its class. 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. 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, CEO of London Gatwick added
“We’re delighted that Wizz Air has decided to operate its first A321XLR based in the UK from London Gatwick”,
“Wizz Air has grown consistently since opening its base here in 2020. This new type of aircraft will allow us to provide a wider range of routes and increase our capacity, offering our passengers even more travel opportunities. The development will play an important role in the further growth in our intercontinental network, as we look to offer more choice for passengers and work towards our vision to be the airport for everyone, whatever your journey.”
Meanwhile, on the Milan-Dubai route, József Váradi, Wizz Air’s Chief Executive Officer said
“The Airbus A321XLR is the most cost-efficient aircraft of its class and, given the enhanced range capability, it enables Wizz Air to connect the furthest destinations in its network and further expand it, connecting cultures and continents. We’re excited to unlock unbeatable fares for our customers on the newly announced route to Abu Dhabi, while offering the most sustainable option for flying.”–
“We are already flying several 5-6 hour long ultra-low-cost routes with great satisfaction to our customers, and the XLR will extend our outstanding value proposition to 7–8-hour long flights.”
7 hours on a Wizz Air A321XLR… Umm..
Wizz Air is presenting a value proposition here. For a low-ish price, you can fly 7 to 8 hours in a single-aisle aircraft.
We know that the Wizz Air A321XLRs will be configured with Recaro R1 (SL3710) on this route to provide some comfort to seat pan and back, at 9kg a seat.
However, we don’t know the densities and seat pitch yet. Knowing Wizz Air loves to pack its passengers in tight (with its A321neo in 239 seater configuration), to maintain their low costs – indicating a 28″-29″ seat pitch in most rows.
We’ll have to see what the final product looks like. Certainly, it will attract a value or time-precious passenger – but those seat pitches for that distance.
I’ll reserve judgment… but even the most modern of seats will be bum-numbing after that much time in the air.
As for the airline – with some timelines slipping from Airbus on its first delivery to Iberia, we can hope they get their new A321XLR in time for its planned service commencement.
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