Budget airline announces longest UK route in bid to rival British Airways

Your support helps us to tell the story

Support Now

Find out moreClose

As your White House correspondent, I ask the tough questions and seek the answers that matter.

Your support enables me to be in the room, pressing for transparency and accountability. Without your contributions, we wouldn't have the resources to challenge those in power.

Your donation makes it possible for us to keep doing this important work, keeping you informed every step of the way to the November election

Andrew Feinberg

White House Correspondent

Wizz Air will launch its longest route from the UK next year with the first budget airline flights to Saudi Arabia.

The company has promised to offer “unbeatable fares” using a new Airbus A321XLR plane.

Flights from Gatwick to Jeddah will be Wizz Air’s longest UK route and the airline said single fares will start from £134.99.

The carrier announced it will begin flying between Gatwick Airport, West Sussex, and Jeddah from March 31.

Wizz Air has 47 of the planes on order, and will base the first it receives at Gatwick.

The enhanced fuel capacity of the jets means they will have a maximum range of up to 11 hours flying time and burn up to 30% less fuel per seat than previous generation aircraft, according to Airbus.

Wizz Air chief executive Jozsef Varadi said: “The Airbus A321XLR is the most cost-efficient aircraft in its class.

“Its enhanced range capability allows Wizz Air to connect the farthest destinations in its network, while also providing opportunities for further expansion, connecting more cultures, economies and continents.

“We are excited to offer unbeatable fares to our customers on the new route from London Gatwick to Jeddah.

“Since establishing our base at London Gatwick in 2020, we have demonstrated ambitious growth, making it a natural, strategic decision to operate our first Airbus A321XLR from this airport.”

British Airways is to launch flights between London’s Heathrow airport and Jeddah on November 4.

Asked how Wizz Air’s fares to Saudi Arabia will compare with those offered by British Airways, Mr Varadi said: “BA decides on how they price themselves, and we decide how we price ourselves.

“But one thing I know is my cost is a third of British Airways’ cost.”

Flights will last around seven hours and will operate overnight on the outbound route from Gatwick, with seats that do not recline.

Mr Varadi said 15 years ago he thought three-hour flights on an ultra-low-cost airline would “test passengers’ tolerance” but found that people “vote with their wallets”.

He added that people who travel in economy class “sacrifice some level of comfort” for “economic benefits”, and Wizz Air’s flights to Saudi Arabia are “a hell of a deal”.

Wizz Air said the A321XLR’s “carbon intensity” is estimated to be “at least 30% less” than that of other aircraft.

Jeddah has a warm, arid climate with an average of just 61mm of rain per year spread out over a handful of days. Even in winter, average highs range between 29C and 33C, with lows of 19C in January and February. It’s best to visit between October and April if possible, as summer temperatures may become sweltering; average temperatures in July and August lie at 33C, with highs hitting around 38C.

Known locally as Al-Balad, the historic centre of Jeddah is one of just five Unesco-listed sites in the entire country. It has been one of Saudi’s more cosmopolitan areas ever since it was made the gateway to Mecca and has consistently welcomed visitors and settlers from around the world.

Jeddah celebrates Saudi and Islamic art and history via galleries and museums throughout the city. The ATHR and Nezma galleries are at the forefront of the contemporary art scene, with both exhibiting works from local artists and others from the wider Arabian world.