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Wizz Air Makes Rapid Exit from Abu Dhabi: What Went Wrong?

Wizz Air Makes Rapid Exit from Abu Dhabi: What Went Wrong?

Skift14-07-2025
Wizz Air's hasty retreat exposes the limits of transplanting the European ultra low-cost model into a region with greater geopolitical instability and different regulatory frameworks.
Wizz Air is abandoning its Abu Dhabi joint venture. It marks a sharp reversal of its Middle East expansion strategy as it refocuses on more stable and profitable European markets.
In a market filing on Monday morning, the airline announced that it will suspend all locally based operations of Wizz Air Abu Dhabi from September 1. It also intends to exit the joint venture entirely. The move comes as part of a broader 'strategic realignment' of the ultra low-cost carrier.
"The operating environment has changed significantly," said Wizz Air CEO József Váradi in a statement. 'Supply chain constraints, geopolitical instability, and limited market access have made it increa
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