Wizz Air Plans to Connect India to Europe with Airbus A321XLR

The entry of Airbus A321XLR into the market is expected to open a lot of opportunities for airlines, specifically low-cost carriers across the world. One such carrier is Budapest-based Wizz Air. With the help of the additional range provided by the XLR, the airline is looking to foray into the Indian market.

Wizz Air Plans India Entry

Hungarian carrier Wizz Air is planning to start flights connecting India to Europe with its Airbus A321XLR. In an investor update in the first quarter of 2023, the airline confirmed that it has 48 Airbus A321XLRs on order.

On the sidelines of the CAPA India Aviation Summit, the CEO of Wizz Air Jozsef Varadi shared some insights about the airline’s India entry plans. The airline is in talks with the governments of India & Hungary and is gaining necessary approvals from regulators. Wizz Air is an assigned carrier from three countries: Italy, Austria, and Hungary. It is talking with the Indian Government to ensure that its designation is recognized and approved.

If all goes well, the airline will operate the inaugural Indian service in the next financial year. It will be connecting six to seven European airports with major Indian cities. Every year, the traffic between India and Europe continues to rise, and the airline is looking to make the best use of this increment.

Wizz Air will start receiving the Airbus A321XLR in early 2025. With the additional range of this aircraft, the airline will enter into the Indian market. Jozsef is confident that with the LCC configuration, the aircraft can fly straight for eight and a half hours.

Addressing the Expensive Fares Issue

Wizz Air CEO said that Indian passengers traveling to Europe face various issues. One of the biggest problems, which needs to be addressed is expensive fare prices. Wizz Air is looking to change this.

When traveling with Wizz Air, passengers can expect the average one-way ticket price between India and Europe to be approximately Rs 18,000. The lowest fare can be somewhere around Rs 9,000. Being a European low-cost carrier, the airline allows passengers to carry 10 kg of cabin baggage for free. For every additional kilo, the passengers are charged.

Wizz Air Holdings has several airlines scattered across Europe. They are based in Budapest, Abu Dhabi, Sofia, Malta and London. Jointly, these carriers have a fleet of 215 Airbus A320 family jets. All these airlines operate on 750 routes, connecting around 200 airports in more than 50 countries.

Abu Dhabi-India Plan on Cards

In addition to the direct connectivity between India and Europe, the airline is keen to fly from Abu Dhabi to India. Wizz Air has a subsidiary named Wizz Air Abu Dhabi. This subsidiary has 12 Airbus A321 jets in its fleet. It operates from Abu Dhabi to the Middle East, Central Asia, and Eastern Europe. The airline is now looking to foray into the Indian market.

In November 2023, Wizz Air Malta received a license to operate flights within seven hours of Italy. It received permission to operate daily flights between India and Italy for the winter season. However, it failed to start services because of a lack of range of its current aircraft.

Various airlines previously wanted to connect India to Europe but failed to materialize their plans. UK-based carriers like Flypop and Hans Airways once stated publically that they would offer the cheapest services to India. Now, both of them have become history. Unlike these airlines, Wizz Air is an established carrier. It will be interesting to see if it converts these statements into reality.

Conclusion: Wizz Air India Entry

Hungarian carrier Wizz Air is planning to foray into the Indian market. It is in talks with the Governments of both countries to acquire the necessary approvals. The airline will use the extended range of Airbus A321XLR to enter into the Indian market. Its Abu Dhabi subsidiary is also looking to start flights to India.

What do you think about the entry plans of Wizz Air into the Indian market? Discuss in the comment section.