Wizz Air Abu Dhabi (Arabic: ويز اير أبوظبي) was an Emirati low-cost airline based at Zayed International Airport in Abu Dhabi, the capital city of the United Arab Emirates. It was owned by Abu Dhabi Developmental Holding Company (51%) and Wizz Air (49%). It operated from January 2021 until September 2025.
History In December 2019, Wizz Air announced it would establish a new subsidiary, based at Zayed International Airport, offering low-cost flights from the airport to tap into growth markets across the Middle East, Africa and the Indian subcontinent. The airline is a joint venture with state-owned Abu Dhabi Developmental Holding Company (ADQ) which owns 51 per cent with Wizz Air Holdings owning the remaining 49 per cent. Flights began in January 2021 with two Airbus A321neo aircraft on flights to Athens.Wizzing into service Airliner World March 2021 page 11
In July 2020, Wizz Air Abu Dhabi announced its initial route network, launching six destinations from its base in Abu Dhabi.
In April 2021, Wizz Air added Abu Dhabi to its services, offering connections to Europe beyond the United Arab Emirates to neighbouring Arab countries.
In July 2025, Wizz Air announced it would cease all Abu Dhabi operations effective 1 September 2025, ending its six-year presence in the UAE to focus on its core European markets. It cited several challenges including geopolitical instability leading to airspace closures, extreme heat affecting engine efficiency, regulatory barriers limiting route permissions and operational constraints that undermined its low-cost model.
The company's chief executive, József Váradi, called the decision "tough but necessary." Váradi later accused the Abu Dhabi government of favoritism to the government-owned flag carrier Etihad Airways, also owned by ADQ.
According to Váradi, Wizz Air had planned to start routes to India and Pakistan as part of their investment memorandum and was granted permission to do so, but Abu Dhabi later decided to hand over their designation to Etihad. Etihad Airways CEO Antonoaldo Neves responded that there was no favoritism toward Etihad by Abu Dhabi and that the aviation regulation in the UAE adhered to the universal principle of grandfather rights which is an international norms practice where incumbent carriers retain established traffic rights based on historical precedence, stating that he would not go to Paris and expect to take over traffic rights of Air France.
Destinations In March 2025, Wizz Air Abu Dhabi served these destinations:
CountryCityAirportNotesTiranaTirana International Airport Nënë Tereza YerevanZvartnots International Airport BakuHeydar Aliyev International Airport QabalaQabala International AirportBahrainBahrain International Airport SarajevoSarajevo International Airport SofiaVasil Levski Sofia Airport Varna Varna Airport LarnacaLarnaca International Airport AlexandriaBorg El Arab International Airport GizaSphinx International Airport LuxorLuxor International Airport SohagSohag International Airport AssiutAssiut AirportKutaisiDavid the Builder Kutaisi International Airport AthensAthens International Airport ChaniaChania International Airport MykonosMykonos Airport RhodesRhodes International Airport SantoriniSantorini International Airport ThessalonikiThessaloniki Airport ErbilErbil International Airport Tel AvivBen Gurion Airport RomeRome Fiumicino Airport AmmanQueen Alia International Airport AqabaKing Hussein International Airport AlmatyAlmaty International Airport AstanaNursultan Nazarbayev International Airport TurkistanHazret Sultan International Airport Kuwait CityKuwait International Airport BishkekManas International Airport BeirutBeirut–Rafic Hariri International AirportMaléVelana International Airport ChișinăuChișinău International Airport MuscatMuscat International Airport SalalahSalalah International Airport BucharestBucharest Băneasa Aurel Vlaicu International Airport Cluj-NapocaCluj International Airport KrasnodarKrasnodar International Airport MoscowVnukovo International Airport DammamKing Fahd International Airport MedinaPrince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport BelgradeBelgrade Nikola Tesla Airport AnkaraAnkara Esenboğa Airport AntalyaAntalya Airport KyivBoryspil International Airport OdesaOdesa International Airport Abu DhabiZayed International AirportSamarkandSamarkand International Airport TashkentTashkent International Airport
These destinations from Abu Dhabi were flown by the sister subsidiary Wizz Air Hungary (W6) or Wizz Air Malta (W4) and not by Wizz Air Abu Dhabi (5W): : Vienna : Budapest : Milan–Malpensa : Katowice, Kraków : Bucharest–Otopeni
Wizz Air Hungary/Malta formerly operated from these destinations to Abu Dhabi:
: Sofia : Bari, Catania, Naples, Rome-Fiumicino : Cluj-Napoca
Fleet
At the time of its closure on 1 September 2025, Wizz Air Abu Dhabi operated the following aircraft:
+ Wizz Air Abu Dhabi fleetAircraftIn serviceOrders PassengersNotesAirbus A321-2008—230Airbus A321neo4—239Airbus A321XLR—TBA239Deliveries from 2026.Total12—
References
External links