First budget flights between UK and Saudi Arabia to launch next year

LONDON: Wizz Air is to launch the UK’s first budget airline flights to Saudi Arabia, promising to offer “unbeatable fares”.The carrier announced it will begin flying between Gatwick Airport, West Sussex, and Jeddah from March 31 next year using a new Airbus A321XLR plane.

Wizz Air has 47 of the planes on order, and will base the first it receives at Gatwick. The enhanced fuel capacity of the jets means they will have a maximum range of up to 11 hours flying time and burn up to 30 per cent less fuel per seat than previous generation aircraft, according to Airbus.

Wizz Air chief executive Jozsef Varadi said: “The Airbus A321XLR is the most cost-efficient aircraft in its class.“Its enhanced range capability allows Wizz Air to connect the farthest destinations in its network, while also providing opportunities for further expansion, connecting more cultures, economies and continents.“We are excited to offer unbeatable fares to our customers on the new route from London Gatwick to Jeddah. “Since establishing our base at London Gatwick in 2020, we have demonstrated ambitious growth, making it a natural, strategic decision to operate our first Airbus A321XLR from this airport.”

Flights from Gatwick to Jeddah will be Wizz Air’s longest UK route.The airline said single fares will start from £134.99.British Airways is to launch flights between London’s Heathrow airport and Jeddah on November 4. Asked how Wizz Air’s fares to Saudi Arabia will compare with those offered by British Airways, Mr Varadi said: “BA decides on how they price themselves, and we decide how we price ourselves.

“But one thing I know is my cost is a third of British Airways’ cost.”Flights will last around seven hours and will operate overnight on the outbound route from Gatwick, with seats that do not recline.

Mr Varadi said 15 years ago he thought three-hour flights on an ultra-low-cost airline would “test passengers’ tolerance” but found that people “vote with their wallets”.He added that people who travel in economy class “sacrifice some level of comfort” for “economic benefits”, and Wizz Air’s flights to Saudi Arabia are “a hell of a deal”. Wizz Air said the A321XLR’s “carbon intensity” is estimated to be “at least 30 per cent less” than that of other aircraft.