LONDON: People in the UK will be able to reach Saudi Arabia for significantly reduced prices after budget carrier Wizz Air launched new flights from London.
The seven-hour overnight route will run from March 2025, connecting Gatwick Airport to Jeddah on new Airbus A321XLR aircraft. The carrier will also run a route to Abu Dhabi from the Italian city of Milan from June.
Tickets to Jeddah have gone on sale at £135 ($176.5), with each flight to carry up to 239 passengers.
The airline said some flights will be cheaper at $116.99 and run daily all year round, adding that they will connect “two vibrant cities.”
At a press conference in Jeddah, Andras Rado, Wizz Air’s head of communications and government affairs, said: “The Airbus A321XLR is the most cost-efficient aircraft of its class and, given the enhanced range capability, it enables Wizz Air to connect the furthest destinations in its network and further expand it, connecting cultures and continents.
“We’re excited to unlock unbeatable fares for our customers on the newly announced route to London, while offering the most sustainable option for flying … This new aircraft type marks a new era of ultra-low-fare travel on long-haul routes.”
Wizz Air will become one of the first operators of the new Airbus model, alongside Aer Lingus and Iberia, and has ordered 47 of the planes.
It is the furthest ranged of Airbus’s A320 aircraft, with a range of 8,700 km, and emits 30 percent fewer carbon emissions than its Boeing 757 and 767 competitors.
Stewart Wingate, CEO of Gatwick Airport, said the new model should help open more long-haul routes for the travel hub.
Wizz Air hopes that the new route to Jeddah will undercut British Airways. In a press release, Wizz Air said it “remains committed to expanding its presence in Saudi Arabia and beyond.”
The airline added that it is “contributing to the country’s connectivity in line with Vision 2030 and following a partnership agreement with the Saudi Tourism Authority to increase connectivity to Europe and boost inbound visitors.”
