Wizz Air, which just resumed its flights between Israel and Europe last week, received the first Airbus A321XLR aircraft, making it the first low-cost airline in the world to offer long-haul intercontinental flights with a narrow-body aircraft. The aircraft's engines are made by Pratt & Whitney.
Thanks to the XLR aircraft, new destinations will open up for Wizz Air passengers. The advanced model will allow Wizz Air to offer low prices and maximum comfort on flights of more than six hours (and up to eight hours), all while maintaining industry leadership in per-passenger emission reduction.
Wizz Air will add 6 A321XLR aircraft to its fleet in 2025, in addition to more than 300 new aircraft already on order that will join its fleet in the coming years and expand operations across the network. A total of 47 aircraft of this type will be added, each with 239 seats.
Low carbon footprint
The new XLR offers modern and spacious cabins, more direct flights—with no connections and shorter total travel times—and a significantly lower carbon footprint compared to wide-body aircraft on the same routes.
WIZZ operates an all-Airbus fleet, composed mainly of A320neo aircraft. As of now, the airline has over 230 aircraft in service and a solid order backlog of 295 aircraft—one of the largest in Europe. This latest delivery strengthens the airline's modern and fuel-efficient profile and positions it for continued expansion in underserved and emerging markets.
“The arrival of our first A321XLR aircraft is a milestone moment for Wizz Air and for our customers, reflecting our commitment to the recently announced ‘Customer First’ initiative,” said Owen Jones, Chief Operations Officer at Wizz Air. “The new aircraft is the result of a successful collaboration that has lasted two decades with our key partner, Airbus, and marks a revolution in aviation: It enables us to offer direct intercontinental flights at unbeatable prices—while maintaining operational efficiency and a commitment to reducing emissions.”