Wizz Air Restores Eight European Routes to the UAE Starting in October

Wizz Air is restoring eight routes connecting Abu Dhabi and Dubai with European cities starting in October, bringing 32 weekly services back to the UAE. However, this expansion does not mark the return of Wizz Air Abu Dhabi, the locally based low-cost carrier that ceased operations in September last year. Instead, the services will reconnect the two emirates with Wizz Air's existing European network, featuring flights to six cities across Cyprus, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and Bulgaria.

The low-cost carrier had suspended its European-operated services to the UAE and other parts of the Middle East in late February due to regional conflict and widespread airspace disruption. The UAE routes will progressively return beginning October 25, with Abu Dhabi receiving the majority of the services. Specifically, six routes and 20 weekly flights will operate to the UAE capital, while Dubai will be served by two routes and 12 weekly flights.

Returning Wizz Air Routes to the UAE:

Abu Dhabi
Budapest to Abu Dhabi: four flights a week from October 25
Katowice to Abu Dhabi: five flights a week from October 25
Larnaca to Abu Dhabi: three flights a week from October 27
Sofia to Abu Dhabi: three flights a week from October 27
Krakow to Abu Dhabi: three flights a week from October 27
Cluj to Abu Dhabi: two flights a week from October 27

Dubai
Budapest to Dubai: five flights a week from October 25
Bucharest to Dubai: daily from October 25

These UAE services form part of a broader winter season restoration that includes 12 routes and 49 weekly flights to the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan, providing 470,000 seats across nine European cities. Wizz Air stated that this phased restoration follows the latest review of conflict-zone recommendations for the region by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency, alongside its own operational and security assessments. The airline noted that it will continue to monitor developments and coordinate with relevant authorities, keeping all services subject to ongoing operational and security reviews.

Status of Wizz Air Abu Dhabi
Wizz Air Abu Dhabi officially ceased operations on September 1, 2025, five years after launching as a joint venture between Wizz Air Holdings and Abu Dhabi holding company ADQ. The airline announced the suspension of all locally based operations in the UAE capital in July of the previous year, citing operational challenges, geopolitical instability, and engine reliability issues that proved particularly problematic in the region's hot climate. While this closure left Wizz Air without a locally based airline in the UAE, the wider Wizz Air group continued connecting the UAE and the broader Middle East to its European network until regional disruptions led to earlier suspensions this year.