Delayed dreams: Wizz Air’s new long-haul jet faces another setback, impacting passengers’ plans

Wizz Air’s rollout of its long-anticipated Airbus A321XLR—the aircraft expected to unlock new, ultra-long-haul routes for the low-cost airline—has hit another unexpected snag. Originally set to begin operations in late March, the aircraft was to serve the London-Gatwick to Jeddah route for Wizz Air UK. However, due to a newly emerged issue in the delivery process, that debut has now been postponed indefinitely.

According to the airline’s confirmation, as reported by AIRportal.hu, no new delivery date has been finalised, creating uncertainty for both the airline’s plans and its passengers. In the meantime, Wizz Air continues operating these long-distance routes using its existing A321neo fleet, albeit with reduced passenger loads to avoid technical stops along the way.

What this means for passengers

For travellers eyeing future long-haul destinations—especially to the Middle East and India—the delay could lead to several inconveniences:

• Longer travel times due to required stopovers for fuel on extended routes.
• Reduced seat availability as current aircraft need to fly with lighter loads.
• Potential changes in route schedules if the airline adjusts operations to accommodate range limitations.

This is particularly relevant for the airline’s planned expansion into South Asia. Wizz Air had announced its intention to launch daily direct flights between Budapest and Mumbai this year—a major development for both tourism and business travel between Hungary and India. That route, however, depends heavily on the A321XLR’s extended range.

India flights in question

Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó confirmed in March that all necessary diplomatic and regulatory agreements had been secured for the Budapest–Mumbai route. Wizz Air also confirmed ongoing discussions with Indian aviation authorities and emphasised that the new route would rely on the XLR aircraft to meet the distance requirements.