Wizz Air Delays A321XLR Launch on London-Jeddah Route
At an exclusive launch event in London in September 2024, Wizz Air’s CEO József Váradi unveiled plans to introduce the airline’s first factory-fresh Airbus A321XLR on a new route connecting London-Gatwick Airport (LGW) with Jeddah (JED) in Saudi Arabia. The announcement marked an important shift in Wizz Air’s strategy as it aimed to leverage the longer-range capabilities of the new A321XLR to open up new international markets. The route, covering a distance of 2,930 miles (4,688 km), was originally scheduled to launch on March 31, 2025. However, an update provided on March 24, 2025, revealed that delivery of the aircraft has been delayed by several days because the plane is still with Airbus in Hamburg. As a result, the launch on the London-Jeddah route has been pushed back to April 10, 2025, allowing an additional eleven days for Wizz Air to receive the A321XLR and prepare it for revenue service.
In the meantime, the airline announced that it will proceed with the route launch on March 31 using one of its current Airbus A321neo aircraft. Although the A321neo and the A321XLR are dimensionally similar, the A321neo does not have the additional fuel tanks and other modifications that extend the range of its XLR variant. To compensate for the shorter range capabilities, the A321neo will operate the route with a reduced passenger load, freeing up additional weight for fuel and eliminating the need for a technical stop en route for refueling. This weight restriction means that on certain flights, particularly on the westbound leg from Jeddah to Gatwick, some passengers may be displaced from their booked seats. High temperatures at Jeddah, which can adversely affect aircraft take-off performance, along with the extended flight time due to prevailing eastbound headwinds, are likely to compound the capacity issues on the westbound journey.
In a statement released by Wizz Air, the airline explained that the delay in receiving the new Airbus A321XLR was unexpected and beyond the company’s control. “Due to an unexpected delay in the delivery of our first Airbus A321XLR aircraft, the route will initially be operated with an Airbus A321neo for a short period, with a small reduction in passenger capacity,” the statement read. The airline also mentioned that its customer service team has already begun contacting affected passengers to offer alternative bookings and rerouting options. Some bookings have been canceled, with affected passengers receiving refunds or credits to their Wizz Air accounts to minimize disruption and ensure customer satisfaction.
The introduction of the A321XLR on the London-Jeddah route represents a broader evolution in Wizz Air’s route development strategy, capitalizing on the extended range and enhanced performance of the new aircraft. With a range of up to 4,700 nautical miles (8,704 km) and a maximum take-off weight of 101 metric tons, the A321XLR can carry significantly more fuel than the A321neo, making it ideal for longer international routes. Following the London-Jeddah launch, the airline plans to deploy a second A321XLR on a route between Milan-Malpensa (MXP) and Abu Dhabi (AUH) starting on June 2, 2025, and later introduce flights from Gatwick to Medina’s Prince Mohammad Bin Abdulaziz International Airport (MED) from August 1, 2025. Each A321XLR will feature a high-density single-class layout, accommodating 239 passengers, and is expected to help Wizz Air expand its international footprint even further.
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