LAST month, Abu Dhabi Developmental Holding Company PJSC (ADDH) announced intentions for the establishment of a local airline in Abu Dhabi in partnership with Wizz Air Holdings Plc (Wizz Air). The new airline will be Wizz Air’s first airline established outside of Europe.
It is intended that the low-cost airline will be formed via a joint venture with Wizz Air, and operations are expected to launch in the second half of 2020. The airline will focus on establishing routes to markets in which Wizz Air has existing, high growth operations, namely Central and Eastern and Western Europe, as well as the Indian subcontinent, Middle East and Africa, over the long run. With a fleet comprising Airbus A321neo aircraft, the world’s most efficient narrow body aircraft, the new airline will gain access to markets with a total of five billion customers across Europe and beyond. The airline’s customer proposition will align directly to that of Wizz Air with a singular focus on offering superior value-based quality on air travel built with the foundation of one of the world’s greenest aircraft fleets. The establishment of the new airline is subject to, among other things, agreement and entry into of definitive documentation with ADDH, the receipt of all necessary internal and external approvals and consents, and the airline satisfying all regulatory requirements of the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority to obtain the Air Operator’s Certificate.