Hungary’s Wizz Air Halts All Routes to Uzbekistan

Hungarian low-cost airline Wizz Air has announced plans to shut down its Abu Dhabi-based subsidiary and suspend all operations from the UAE capital starting September 1, 2025, which will include the cancellation of all routes to Uzbekistan.

The move is part of a strategic shift to refocus on the carrier’s core markets in Central and Eastern Europe, Austria, Italy, and the UK, The Caspian Post reports, citing Uzbek media.

Launched in November 2020 as a joint venture, Wizz Air Abu Dhabi was the airline’s first expansion into the Middle East. Its closure will result in the suspension of all routes to Uzbekistan, including flights to Samarkand and Tashkent, which began in December 2022 and January 2023, respectively.

The airline cited a combination of factors behind its decision to exit the Middle Eastern market, including:

Geopolitical instability causing periodic airspace closures and logistical disruptions;

Regulatory challenges limiting expansion into key countries like India and Pakistan;

Harsh climatic conditions in Abu Dhabi, which negatively impact aircraft performance.

“These combined challenges have undermined the long-term viability of Wizz Air’s ultra-low-cost model in the Middle East and made it less profitable compared to the airline’s main European operations,” the official statement said.

Abu Dhabi operations made up only about 5 per cent of Wizz Air’s total business. By contrast, nearly two-thirds of its activity is centered in Central and Eastern Europe, with under 30 per cent in Western markets such as the UK, Italy, and Austria.

Wizz Air currently operates a fleet of 237 Airbus A320 and A321 aircraft, with another 280 planes on order for delivery over the next five years. The airline expects to transport more than 63 million passengers during the 2025 fiscal year.