Starting from September 1, 2025, Hungary's Wizz Air low-cost airline will cancel flights between Uzbekistan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This was reported by Upl.uz.
This decision is related to the suspension of operations of Wizz Air Abu Dhabi subsidiary. Wizz Air Abu Dhabi started operations in November 2020, and from December 2022 it has been operating flights to Samarkand, and from January 2023 to Tashkent.
Now Wizz Air intends to focus its operations on Central and Eastern Europe, as well as Western European countries such as Austria, Italy, and the United Kingdom. Over the past year, the company has faced operational difficulties in the Middle East region.
Political instability in the region has led to frequent airspace closures and widespread disruptions, resulting in a decrease in consumer demand. Additionally, regulatory restrictions have significantly reduced the company's opportunities to enter and expand in its core markets.
According to Reuters, these restrictions particularly affect India and Pakistan, countries that the airline had high hopes for. The harsh climate and hot conditions in Abu Dhabi have also negatively impacted the efficiency of the aircraft.
These factors have made it difficult for Wizz Air's low-cost airline model in the region to remain sustainable and for its core operations in Europe to be profitable. As noted by the company's CEO József Váradi, supply chain constraints, political instability, and difficulties in market entry have complicated achieving initial plans.
This was a difficult decision for them, but it is the right choice under the current circumstances. Approximately two-thirds of Wizz Air's business is related to Central and Eastern Europe.
Operations in Abu Dhabi accounted for only 5 percent of the total volume, while Western European countries hold less than 30 percent share. Currently, Wizz Air has 237 aircraft of the Airbus A320 and A321 types and expects to receive 280 new aircraft over the next five years.
The company plans to carry 63.4 million passengers in the 2025 financial year
