Wizz Air is looking at operating the first ultra low-cost flight from London to Dubai as part of its ambitions to expand into the Gulf region.
Budget seats on the carrier’s new Airbus A321XLR long-range aircraft aim to take off for seven-hour journeys to popular cities in the Middle East.
With a maximum flying range of up to 11 hours, the aircraft could operate mid-haul routes as far as Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
Following the announcement of flights from London Gatwick to Jeddah and Medina, a Wizz Air spokesperson confirmed to The Independent that the airline is already “looking into other exciting destinations across the Gulf as we expand our XLR routes”.
They said: “The addition of the Airbus A321XLR aircraft to our fleet is a major milestone for Wizz Air in the UK. The expanded reach of this new aircraft will enable us to connect Central and Western Europe with the East, opening the door to more destinations at an affordable price point for our customers.”
The low-cost airline recently announced that it will launch the UK’s only non-stop flights to the Saudi Arabian city of Medina out of Gatwick from 1 August.
From 31 March, its second flight to Saudi will be the airline’s longest UK route, flying between Gatwick and Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
The typical one-way Gatwick-Jeddah fare on the budget airline in spring and summer is £135.
Read more: With new budget flights from Gatwick, is Saudi the new Spain?
Wizz Air’s UK managing director, Marion Geoffroy, told The Times that the airline was eyeing an expansion in the Gulf region because the destinations are “all very attractive”.
With “lots of opportunities” to fly out of London, Wizz Air has so far ordered 47 XLR aircraft.
The airline already flies to Abu Dhabi and other Middle East destinations from European cities, including Budapest, Vienna and Krakow.
Passengers who choose to fly budget with Wizz to the Middle East won’t have reclining seats, free food and drink or checked baggage included in their fares but may save hundreds even if they fork out on a suitcase.
Geoffroy told the outlet that passengers packing for long haul will find it is “often cheaper to just buy whatever you’re going to need there”.
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