Wizz Air Abu Dhabi venture to start on October 1

Wizz Air said its Abu Dhabi joint venture would start operations on October 1 with six new routes connecting the UAE capital with Europe and Egypt.

The venture between the Hungarian budget carrier and Abu Dhabi state holding company ADQ, will use two new Airbus A321neo aircraft , with an initial network of six new routes to Alexandria, Athens, Kutaisi, Larnaca, Odesa and Yerevan.

Four more A321 aircraft will be allocated in the first six months of operation, with the route network on these aircraft to be announced in due course, Wizz said on Monday.

Wizz Air currently has five additional routes to Abu Dhabi on sale from Bucharest, Budapest, Cluj-Napoca, Katowice and Sofia.

The ne Abu Dhabi routes would add an annual capacity of 350,000 seats, it said.

"Our A321neo aircraft, as well as our enhanced protective measures, will ensure the best possible sanitary conditions for travellers," said chief executive Jozsef Varadi, referring to the coronavirus pandemic sweeping the world.