Wizz Air Abu Dhabi, the newly launched national airline of the United Arab Emirates, is celebrating the arrival of its first aircraft, an Airbus A321neo, at its base at Abu Dhabi International Airport. The airline says that this aircraft will enable it to have the smallest environmental footprint and the lowest cost base among its competitors in the region.
Wizz Air Abu Dhabi is a joint-venture between ADQ (one of the region’s largest holding companies) and Wizz Air Holdings Plc, which has recently received national carrier status from the UAE government subject to meeting regulatory standards prior to starting operations.
More A321neos are due to join the Wizz Air Abu Dhabi fleet during the first six months of operations, connecting the capital of the United Arab Emirates with several other cities around Europe and beyond. The route network planned on these aircraft will be announced in due course. The airline’s initial route network includes Alexandria, Athens, Kutaisi, Larnaca, Odesa and Yerevan.
Kees Van Schaick, Managing Director of Wizz Air Abu Dhabi stated, “With the arrival of our first aircraft to Abu Dhabi we have made an important step on our journey towards starting our operations and developing our presence in Abu Dhabi. We contribute to the local economic diversity while offering ever more affordable travel opportunities on our low-fare network. Wizz Air Abu Dhabi’s new state-of-the-art Airbus A321neo aircraft, as well as our enhanced protective measures, will ensure the best possible sanitary conditions for travellers.”
Mohammed Husain Ahmed, general manager of Abu Dhabi International Airport, added, “The establishment of Wizz Air Abu Dhabi and its commencement of operations is a milestone in the growth and development of the LCC market in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. It is also a reflection of the success of our implementation of comprehensive health and safety measures across our airports, as well as our investments in transforming Abu Dhabi International Airport into a strategically positioned global hub for airlines from across the world.”
The health and safety measures he references include a trained team of ‘Wellness Ambassadors’ equipped to support passengers by answering common questions relating to keeping healthy during travel, encouraging social distancing, and providing hand sanitiser and personal protective equipment (PPE) such as masks and gloves. In addition, the airport employs touchless elevator technology, SterixGates sterilisation booths, thermal scanning cameras, as well as cameras with facial recognition capabilities and heat motion sensors.
