Wizz Air will exit Abu Dhabi's Zayed International Airport, long overshadowed by Dubai
Zayed International Airport, in the Emirati capital, has long been overshadowed by its successful Dubai neighbor, the world's busiest for international travel.
Wizz Air's decision to end operations out of its hub in Abu Dhabi, effective Sept. 1, comes as it aims to focus on its core markets in Central and Eastern Europe, the Hungarian company said in a post on X. The announcement follows last month's 12-day war between Israel and Iran, which shook the region and sent airlines scrambling amid airspace closures.
In a statement, Wizz Air CEO József Váradi said the company has had 'a tremendous journey in the Middle East.' But, he added, 'the operating environment has changed significantly.'
'Supply chain constraints, geopolitical instability, and limited market access have made it increasingly difficult to sustain our original ambitions,' Váradi said.
Wizz Air's Abu Dhabi subsidiary, created in partnership with the government-owned Abu Dhabi Developmental Holding Co., was its first operation established outside of Europe.
Abu Dhabi's airport authority didn't respond to a request for comment. Zayed Airport has been far outshone by Dubai International Airport. Last year, 92.3 million passengers traveled through Dubai, compared to 28.8 million for Zayed.
Wizz Air's profits already had been falling before it decided to exit its Abu Dhabi operations and before an unprecedented Iranian strike on a U.S. military base in neighboring Qatar that shocked travelers in the region. The Arab Gulf states have long been viewed as a safe haven from the violence and instability in the broader Middle East.
Last fiscal year, Wizz Air reported a 41.5 per cent year-on-year nosedive in net profits – from 365.9 million euros (US$427.8 million) to 213.9 million euros ($250 million) – though revenue increased by 3.8 per cent to 5.3 billion euros ($6.2 billion).
Wizz Air said the move would free up resources that would be redeployed to 'regions with greater long-term potential for sustainable growth and profitability.' The airline's departure comes as the federation of seven sheikhdoms looks to encourage tourism and for other ways to diversify its economy beyond reliance on hydrocarbons.
Gabe Levin, The Associated Press
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBC
a day ago
- CBC
Israel furthers plan for settlement that divides the West Bank
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalei Smotrich said a plan to add more than 3,000 homes to a controversial settlement in the West Bank would bury 'the idea of a Palestinian state.'
CBC
a day ago
- CBC
UN protests Israeli minister's proposal of settlement to 'bury' idea of Palestinian state
Israeli far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced that work would start on a long-delayed settlement that would divide the West Bank and cut it off from East Jerusalem, a move his office said would "bury" the idea of a Palestinian state. The Palestinian government, allies and campaign groups condemned the scheme, calling it illegal and saying the fragmentation of territory would rip up peace plans for the region. Standing at the site of the planned settlement in Maale Adumim on Thursday, Smotrich, a settler himself, said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Donald Trump had agreed to the revival of the E1 development, though there was no immediate confirmation from either. "Whoever in the world is trying to recognize a Palestinian state today will receive our answer on the ground. Not with documents nor with decisions or statements, but with facts. Facts of houses, facts of neighbourhoods," Smotrich said. Asked about his remarks, a U.S. State Department spokesperson said: "A stable West Bank keeps Israel secure and is in line with this administration's goal to achieve peace in the region," and referred reporters to Israel's government for further information. The spokesperson said Washington remained primarily focused on ending the war in Gaza. The United Nations urged Israel to reverse its decision to start work on the settlement. "It would put an end to prospects of a two-state solution," UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told reporters. "Settlements go against international law … [and] further entrench the occupation." International rejection of settlement building Israel froze construction plans at Maale Adumim in 2012, and again after they were revived in 2020, amid objections from the U.S., European allies and other powers who considered the project a threat to any future peace deal with the Palestinians. Restarting the project could further isolate Israel, which has watched some of its Western allies condemn its military offensive in Gaza and announce they may recognize a Palestinian state. Palestinians fear that settlement building in the West Bank — which has sharply intensified since the 2023 Hamas attack on Israel that led to the Gaza war — will rob them of any chance to build a state of their own in the area. WATCH | Canada, allies sanction Israeli ministers over 'extremist settler violence': Canada, allies sanction Israeli ministers over 'extremist settler violence' 2 months ago Canada has joined the U.K., Norway, Australia and New Zealand in sanctioning Israeli lawmakers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich for 'inciting violence against Palestinians in the West Bank,' by calling for Palestinians to be displaced for expanded Israeli settlements. In a statement headlined "Burying the idea of a Palestinian state," Smotrich's spokesperson said the minister had approved the plan to build 3,401 houses for Israeli settlers between an existing settlement in the West Bank and Jerusalem. In Maale Adumim, Smotrich, an ultra-nationalist in the ruling right-wing coalition who has long advocated for Israeli sovereignty over the West Bank, told Reuters the plan would go into effect on Wednesday. Breaking the Silence, an Israeli rights group established by former Israeli soldiers, said what it called a land grab "will not only further fragment the Palestinian territory but will further entrench apartheid." Nabil Abu Rudeineh, spokesperson for Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, called on the United States to pressure Israel to stop settlement building. "The EU rejects any territorial change that is not part of a political agreement between involved parties. So annexation of territory is illegal under international law," European Commission spokesperson Anitta Hipper said. House building would begin in a year Peace Now, which tracks settlement activity in the West Bank, said there are steps that need to be completed before construction. But if all went through, infrastructure work could begin within a few months and house building in about a year. "The E1 plan is deadly for the future of Israel and for any chance of achieving a peaceful two-state solution. We are standing at the edge of an abyss, and the government is driving us forward at full speed," Peace Now said in a statement. Consecutive Israeli governments have initiated, approved, planned and funded settlements, according to Israeli rights group Yesh Din. Some settlers moved to the West Bank for religious or ideological reasons, while others were drawn by lower housing costs and government incentives. They include American and European dual-citizens. WATCH | Palestinians worry forced evacuations may be a precursor to annexation: Since January, Israel has forced tens of thousands of people out of decades-old refugee camps in the occupied West Bank and installed barriers to restrict movement across the territory. The IDF says it's preventing terrorism, but displaced Palestinians tell CBC's Margaret Evans they're worried it could be a precursor to annexation. Palestinians were already demoralized by the Israeli military campaign, which has killed more than 61,000 people in Gaza, according to local health authorities. They now fear Israel will ultimately push them out of that territory. About 700,000 Israeli settlers live among 2.7 million Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Israel annexed East Jerusalem in 1980, a move not recognized by most countries, but has not formally extended sovereignty over the West Bank. The UN and most world powers say settlement expansion has eroded the viability of a two-state solution by fragmenting Palestinian territory. The two-state plan envisages a Palestinian state in East Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza, existing side by side with Israel. Israel cites historical and biblical ties to the area and says the settlements provide strategic depth and security. Most of the global community considers all settlements illegal under international law. Israel rejects this interpretation, saying the West Bank is "disputed" rather than "occupied" territory. Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand imposed sanctions in June on Smotrich and another far-right minister who advocates for settlement expansion, accusing both of them of repeatedly inciting violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.
CTV News
2 days ago
- CTV News
‘Buries the idea of a Palestinian state': Israel announces West Bank settlement
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich speaks to journalists during a press conference about new settlement construction in the Israel-occupied West Bank near Maale Adumim, Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg) MAALE ADUMIM, West Bank — Israel's far-right finance minister announced a contentious new settlement construction in the Israeli-occupied West Bank on Thursday which Palestinians and rights groups worry will scuttle plans for a future Palestinian state by effectively cutting the West Bank into two separate parts. The announcement comes as many countries said they would recognize a Palestinian state in September. 'This reality finally buries the idea of a Palestinian state, because there is nothing to recognize and no one to recognize,' said Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. 'Anyone in the world who tries today to recognize a Palestinian state – will receive an answer from us on the ground,' he said. Development in E1, an open tract of land east of Jerusalem, has been under consideration for more than two decades, but was frozen due to U.S. pressure during previous administrations. On Thursday, Smotrich praised President Donald Trump and U.S. ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee as 'true friends of Israel as we have never had before.' The E1 plan has not yet received its final approval, which is expected next week. The plan includes around 3,500 apartments to expand the settlement of Maale Adumim, Smotrich said. While some bureaucratic steps remain, if the process moves quickly, infrastructure work could begin in the next few months and construction of homes could start in around a year. Rights groups swiftly condemned the plan. Peace Now called it 'deadly for the future of Israel and for any chance of achieving a peaceful two-state solution' which is 'guaranteeing many more years of bloodshed.' The announcement comes as the Palestinian Authority and Arab countries condemned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's statement in an interview on Tuesday that he was 'very' attached to the vision of a Greater Israel. He did not elaborate, but supporters of the idea believe that Israel should control not only the occupied West Bank but parts of Arab countries. The Associated Press
