
Wizz Air takes delivery of first Airbus A321XLR for long-haul expansion
European airline Wizz Air has taken delivery of its first Airbus A321XLR. This extended-range aircraft type will enable the company to become the first ultra-low-cost carrier (ULCC) to offer intercontinental routes, thus opening up new markets. The A321XLR promises non-stop flights lasting longer than six hours and should enable Wizz Air to continue offering low fares. The Airbus A321XLR is characterized by its increased range and should enable Wizz Air to offer non-stop connections to destinations previously primarily served by higher-fare airlines. Wizz Air's strategy is to continue to rely on a pure economy class concept with a higher number of seats on these longer routes in order to keep costs low and offer attractive prices. Planned routes for the A321XLR Although Wizz Air has not yet announced any concrete routes for the A321XLR at the time of the first delivery, there have been hints and plans in the past. For example, the launch of a daily connection between Milan-Malpensa and Abu Dhabi from June 2024 was announced in September 2025, but these plans were scrapped in May 2025. A connection from London-Gatwick to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia was also under discussion, but the launch has been delayed. Wizz Air CEO József Váradi also mentioned interest in flights to India from locations in Italy, Austria, or Hungary. Analysts speculate about possible routes to East Africa, the Caucasus, and Central Asia. It is expected that Wizz Air will use the A321XLR to serve routes that currently have few or no non-stop connections.