Wizz Air to avoid Middle Eastern countries due to ongoing turmoil

Wizz Air has launched its 1,000th route. The airline currently connects 200 destinations across more than 50 countries, the company told MTI on Thursday.

Wizz Air is on a roll

According to the statement, Wizz Air launched more than 300 new routes in 2025 alone. The airline put its 250th aircraft into service last November, welcomed its 500 millionth international passenger in January this year, and celebrated carrying its 60 millionth Hungarian passenger at the end of last year.

Last year marked a period of strong, targeted expansion for Wizz Air. The airline further strengthened its position in its key markets and established new bases in Bratislava, Warsaw Modlin, Chișinău, Bucharest Băneasa Airport, Suceava, Târgu Mureș, Tuzla, Podgorica and Yerevan, laying the foundations for continued growth in the coming years, the statement said.

• Wizz Air launches WIZZ Class: a low-cost alternative to business class on selected routes

Milestone after milestone

The company has reached another major milestone, welcoming its 500 millionth passenger just 22 years after launching operations. Since its first flight in 2004, the carrier has grown into Europe’s third-largest budget airline, becoming one of the continent’s fastest-expanding aviation success stories.

According to the company, Wizz Air needed 11 years to carry its first 100 million passengers. Growth then accelerated dramatically: the airline doubled that figure in just four years, reached 300 million passengers within three additional years – including the challenging period of the Covid-19 pandemic – and transported a further 200 million travellers over the past three years alone.

• Wizz Air expands its fleet in Budapest, opens new routes

CEO Váradi is satisfied as well

This rapid expansion means Wizz Air achieved the 500 million mark in less than 22 years, a pace that stands out in European aviation history. The airline noted that one of its main competitors required more than three decades to reach a similar scale, underlining Wizz Air’s position as one of the fastest-growing airlines on the continent.

Chief Executive Officer József Váradi described the milestone as a defining moment for the company. “Reaching 500 million passengers is an extraordinary achievement and clearly reflects how we have reshaped the way people travel,” he said. Váradi added that the result represents over two decades of disciplined growth, during which the airline expanded its route network, strengthened its bases, achieved record passenger volumes and made significant investments, reports AIRportal.hu.

He also pointed out that while many airlines founded in the early 2000s have since disappeared, Wizz Air has emerged as one of Europe’s leading low-cost carriers. “This success gives us strong momentum to continue expanding our network and, together with our passengers, help shape the future of air travel,” the CEO said.

Safety concerns regarding Middle Eastern routes

Meanwhile, the airline has announced temporary operational changes affecting some of its Middle Eastern services. Due to the current security situation, Wizz Air is avoiding the airspace of Iran and Iraq until further notice. As a result, flight times on certain routes may be slightly longer.

The revised flight paths require technical stopovers in Cyprus, where aircraft are refuelled and flight crews are changed before continuing their journey. Wizz Air stressed that the decision was made with safety as the top priority.

“The safety of our passengers, crew and aircraft remains paramount in all operational decisions,” the airline said, adding that it continues to closely monitor the situation and adjust its routes accordingly.

Despite these temporary disruptions, Wizz Air’s latest passenger milestone highlights the airline’s resilience and continued growth at a time when the aviation industry remains shaped by both opportunity and uncertainty.