Long-range Airbus Jets Will Put India Within Reach, Says Wizz Air

Wizz Air Holdings Plc said expansion into India will become possible with its new long-range Airbus SE A321 models, potentially opening up a lucrative vein of future growth as demand for air travel surges in the world’s most populous nation. 

“There’s great potential in India, as the country has seen an immense development,” Wizz Chief Executive Officer Jozsef Varadi said in an interview in Budapest today. “I think it may help Europe tackle its employment issues, while its emerging middle class will boost tourism. We’re looking into opportunities there, but this is more a medium-term issue.”

Wizz Air has 47 of the long-range Airbus A321 XLR on order, with deliveries set to start sometime in 2024. The aircraft will allow the budget carrier to expand its operating parameter further east to markets including the Middle East, where Varadi said there’s also greater demand. 

By region, Varadi expects to see growth in the Middle East particularly in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. Wizz, which traditionally connected destinations in Eastern Europe, has expanded to the Middle East with a local unit in Abu Dhabi and is exploring options for a venture in Saudi Arabia. 

“There is a much bigger demand than what we can fulfill, but we need airplanes and staff for that, these are more of the restricting factors,” Varadi said.  

Learning from a difficult last year, the company is now hedging its fuel costs, while the environmentally friendlier alternative, dubbed sustainable aviation fuel, is poised to burden the industry in coming years, the CEO predicted.

“There are two issues: it’s expensive and unavailable,” Varadi said of SAF fuel, adding it’s unclear which entity would pay for the higher cost of the green option.