Wizz Air is launching a direct route from London Gatwick to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, in March 2025.
It will place an Airbus A321XLR (Extra Long Range) aircraft at Gatwick to operate the new service.
The airline says the new route, which is just under seven hours, will be the first of many to leverage the extended range and efficiency of the Airbus A321XLR.
Tickets are already on sale from £134.99 each way.
The Airbus A321XLR’s carbon intensity is estimated to be at least 30% less than that of other carriers on the same routes.
József Váradi, Wizz Air’s Chief Executive Officer,said: “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.”
The airline has five Airbus A321neo aircraft based at Gatwick and operates flights to 26 destinations in 17 countries. Stewart Wingate, CEO of London Gatwick. “This new type of aircraft will allow us to provide a wider range of routes and increase our capacity, offering our passengers even more travel opportunities
Another new Wizz Air A321XLR aircraft will be based in Italy, operating a daily flight between Milan Malpensa and Abu Dhabi, starting from June 2 2025.