Dh204 airfare: UAE residents rush to book budget trips before Wizz Air exits Abu Dhabi

Khaleej Times

a day ago

With fares starting as low as Dh204, UAE residents are scrambling to book last-minute holidays before Wizz Air ceases operations from Abu Dhabi on September 1, 2025.
The airline's shutdown has triggered a surge in travel bookings to popular budget-friendly destinations, including Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan.
A Khaleej Times review of fares for August shows one-way economy flights from Abu Dhabi priced at:
Dh204 to Kutaisi (Georgia)
Dh264 to Yerevan (Armenia)
Dh254 to Baku (Azerbaijan)
Dh314 to Tashkent (Uzbekistan)
Dh404 to Almaty (Kazakhstan)
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For many UAE residents, these ultra-low fares have made short getaways accessible and affordable. But with Wizz Air's imminent departure, frequent flyers fear this era of budget-friendly international trips may soon become a thing of the past.
'It's rare to find international tickets for Dh204,' said Prachi Mehta, an Indian expat and graphic designer at a media agency in Dubai.
'I checked fares for Georgia and found return tickets for under Dh550. Since my daughter's school is on break and my husband can take leave too, we are planning one last trip on Wizz Air before they stop flying.'
She shared that her family had postponed a summer trip to Delhi due to expensive fares. 'This deal came at the right time, a chance to explore a new country at a low cost.'
For Mohammed Shoib Khan, a 34-year-old Pakistani engineer living in Ajman, the low-cost airline has been a game changer. 'I have travelled twice to the Caucasus with friends, but couldn't take my family because they weren't in the UAE then," he said. "Now that they have joined me here, I want to take them on a quick holiday before prices go up.'
With Wizz Air's exit on the horizon, some residents are already hunting for affordable alternatives. 'We are planning to travel to a new destinations before my wedding in December. We have been looking out for options of low-cost airline. Hopefully, the travel is affordable in the month of September or October,' said Mohammed Ootom, a Jordanian expat who lives in Al Nahda, Sharjah.
The sales manager at a retail store in Sahara Centre recalled how the airline enabled spontaneous travel for him and his friends. 'Once, we booked a trip to Azerbaijan while sitting at a café. It cost us less than a staycation in the UAE,' Mohammed said.
'Budget airlines like Wizz Air gave many people the chance to explore new countries without breaking the bank. We need more low-cost carriers to keep that dream alive,' he added.