
Wizz Air to Suspend All Flights From Abu Dhabi Starting September 1st
Wizz Air has announced it will cease all operations from Abu Dhabi starting September 1, 2025, as part of a strategy to reduce costs and refocus on its core European markets.
Despite ambitious early plans to expand its Abu Dhabi-based fleet to 100 aircraft over 15 years, the low-cost carrier cited mounting operational challenges and broader geopolitical tensions in the Middle East as key reasons for the decision. These factors have made it increasingly difficult to sustain its original ambitions in the region.
The airline now plans to redeploy resources to growth markets in Central and Eastern Europe, as well as to selected countries including Austria, Italy, and the UK.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Daily News Egypt
3 hours ago
- Daily News Egypt
Egypt urges EU support for Gaza ceasefire, reconstruction at Brussels talks
Egypt's Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty on Monday urged the European Union to support efforts to reach a ceasefire in Gaza and participate in a post-war reconstruction conference, during talks with top EU officials in Brussels on regional crises and their strategic partnership. During meetings on the sidelines of a ministerial summit, Abdelatty discussed the situation with EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, and the EU Commissioner for the Mediterranean, Dubravka Šuica. The foreign minister briefed the officials on Egypt's efforts to reach a ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip and to resolve outstanding issues in the negotiations. He stressed the need for an end to Israeli attacks, the siege on civilians, and the use of starvation as a weapon, and called for the unimpeded flow of humanitarian aid into the enclave, according to a statement from his ministry. Abdelatty reiterated Egypt's rejection of the displacement of Palestinians from their land and said that once a ceasefire is announced, Egypt intends to host an international conference for the early recovery and reconstruction of Gaza, expressing hope for broad European participation. The minister also praised the strategic partnership between Egypt and the EU and thanked the bloc for the recent approval of the second tranche of a €4 billion macro-financial assistance package for Egypt. The talks also covered the EU's planned 'Pact for the Mediterranean,' which it aims to launch by the end of the year to enhance political dialogue with southern Mediterranean countries. Abdelatty stressed the importance of the pact providing new sources of financing, mobilising more European investment, promoting free trade, and providing legal migration pathways. The meetings addressed a range of other regional issues. On Libya, Abdelatty emphasized the importance of respecting its sovereignty and implementing U.N. resolutions for the withdrawal of all foreign forces and mercenaries. Regarding Syria, he stressed the need to support its unity and stability. Abdelatty also reiterated Egypt's support for the security and unity of Sudan, stressing the need to preserve its national institutions and end the humanitarian suffering of its people. He also affirmed Egypt's solidarity with Somalia and its support for the Somali government's efforts to restore security and strengthen state institutions.


Daily News Egypt
3 hours ago
- Daily News Egypt
Egypt, EU, and Italy launch €24m integrated rural development project
Egypt's Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, Alaa Farouk, inaugurated the first technical committee meeting of the Integrated Rural Development Project, joined by European Union Ambassador to Cairo Angelina Eichhorst, Italian Ambassador Michele Quaroni, and Head of Italian Development Cooperation Tibario Chiari. Funded through a €24m grant from the European Union, the project is implemented by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) and focuses on improving the livelihoods of smallholder farmers in the governorates of Sohag, Assiut, and Beni Suef. Its scope includes strengthening agricultural extension services, livestock production, plant health, and field irrigation systems. Minister Farouk highlighted the project as a significant step towards sustainable development in Upper Egypt, reflecting the government's commitment to social justice and better living standards in rural areas. He noted that by widening access to economic opportunities and essential services, the project aims to empower local communities and enhance resilience. Farouk described the initiative as a comprehensive development model that combines targeted interventions to bolster agricultural cooperatives and improve the efficiency of agricultural value chains. These measures, he explained, will help increase productivity and incomes, reduce losses, and raise the competitiveness of Egyptian agricultural products both locally and internationally. The minister also emphasised the project's role in creating new opportunities for rural women and youth through dedicated programmes that provide training, technical support, and access to finance—enabling them to become active contributors to economic and social development within their communities. Farouk further praised the initiative as an example of strategic partnership between Egypt and the European Union, aligning with Egypt's Vision 2030, which calls for integrated rural development balancing economic, social, and environmental priorities. He affirmed Egypt's openness to expanding cooperation with the EU in areas such as plant and livestock production, export market access, and attracting European investment to the agricultural sector. EU Ambassador Angelina Eichhorst welcomed the collaboration, describing Egypt as a 'key strategic partner for the EU.' She affirmed the EU's readiness to work with Egypt in rural development, agriculture, and technology transfer, while stressing the importance of maximising the impact of the grant through effective implementation. Italian Ambassador Michele Quaroni commended the partnership and the joint efforts to support agricultural development in the project's target governorates. He also invited Minister Farouk and a technical delegation from the Ministry of Agriculture to visit Italy to explore cooperative models as part of Egypt's broader strategy to modernise its agricultural cooperative system.


Al-Ahram Weekly
4 hours ago
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Low-cost carrier Wizz Air to stop Abu Dhabi operations - Markets & Companies
Hungarian low-cost airline Wizz Air said Monday that it would end its Abu Dhabi operations, which have struggled to turn a profit in the conflict-hit region. The airline will exit its Abu Dhabi hub starting from September. The seventh biggest European airline in terms of daily flights operated around 30 routes in the Middle East, which has been hit by repeated airspace closures since 2023, when the Israeli war on Gaza began. "Wizz Air will suspend all locally based flight operations effective 1 September 2025 and intends to exit from the joint venture going forward," the company said in a statement on X. Wizz Air Abu Dhabi, a joint venture with the Emirati state-owned Abu Dhabi Developmental Holding Company, was established in 2020. The airline said it had been impacted by "engine reliability constraints, particularly in hot and harsh environments", "geopolitical volatility," which caused disruptions and falling consumer demand, and "regulatory barriers." Wizz Air -- which has had to ground some of its Airbus planes because of problems with its Pratt & Whitney engines -- said it will focus on its core central and eastern European markets and selected western European countries. "This strategic realignment will enable the company to redeploy resources to regions with greater long-term potential for sustainable growth and profitability," it added. Wizz Air was founded in 2003 and has lost almost four-fifths of its value on the London Stock Exchange since peaking in March 2021. Some experts say the airline has deeper problems. "Overambitious growth has been accompanied by weak fundamentals, with financially strong competitors constantly putting pressure on the indebted Wizz Air with typically very competitive ticket prices," Gabor Bukta, lead analyst at Concorde Securities, Hungary's largest non-bank broker, wrote in a recent report. The airline, which has 231 aircraft and more than 8,000 employees, operates flights in 55 countries and carries 63.4 million passengers a year on 833 routes, according to its latest financial report. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link: