Wizz Air, which was earlier this year named “Europe’s worst airline” by the UK’s consumer watchdog, has announced it will launch long-haul flights.
The Euronews website quoted the Hungary-based company as saying that it will start launching flights from London to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia in March 2025, and will follow in June with a line from Milan to Abu Dhabi.
Wizz Air also recorded the worst punctuality for three consecutive years.
Wizz Air does not provide any services to passengers on board, and in return, ticket prices are very low compared to global airline ticket prices. It is expected that the company will not provide any privileges to passengers on long-haul flights either.
The company’s CEO, Jozsef Varadi, tells Euronews that he hopes customers on a budget will be willing to “endure the suffering” of long, tiring flights.
He confirmed that Wizz Air flights to the Middle East, similar to its short-haul services in Europe, will contain only economy seats on board.
The seats will have the same design as the seats on short-haul flights, and will not recline or have any additional features.
low cost
However, Varady says he is confident that passengers will be happy with the “very low-cost” experience and expects to launch more similar routes in the near future.
“Fifteen to 20 years ago, I would have thought three hours would test the endurance of passengers, but people seem to prefer to look at their wallets,” Frady said at a news conference.
This launch coincides with the company’s acquisition of a new fleet of Airbus aircraft, allowing it to increase its maximum flight time from 6 hours to 8 hours.
Ticket prices will start from €160 for UK passengers for a one-way flight to Jeddah.
On the way back, flights will be slightly cheaper due to the UK’s air passenger fees.
This figure is equivalent to half the cost of a regular flight to the Saudi city, if booked today.
The site says that while these long-haul flights appear to be just the beginning of Wizz’s plans, the company has confirmed that it does not intend to cross the Atlantic to the United States with its new planes.
According to the Euro News website, Wizz Air has been trying to make great strides in this field recently, perhaps to improve its reputation, after it was classified as the worst airline in Europe.
