Wizz Air has withdrawn its nonstop flights from London Gatwick to Jeddah and Medina, marking another step in the airline’s retreat from the long-haul ambitions that once shaped its fleet strategy.

The cancellation of both Saudi Arabian routes removes two low-cost options for travellers flying between the UK and the Kingdom, including passengers undertaking religious pilgrimages to the holy cities.

The routes have reportedly been removed entirely, disrupting travel plans for customers who had relied on the airline’s budget fares.

The decision follows a broader strategic shift that has seen Wizz Air abandon plans to use its Airbus A321XLR aircraft on longer-range routes.

Wizz Air had originally positioned the Airbus A321XLR as the aircraft that would enable the airline to expand into longer-haul markets beyond the traditional reach of the A321neo. However, the carrier has now changed course.

Instead of operating dedicated long-range services, the airline is deploying the A321XLR on the same short- and medium-haul routes as the rest of its Airbus A321neo fleet. Internally, the aircraft is no longer managed as a distinct fleet type despite its extended-range capability.

Closure of Wizz Air Abu Dhabi Changed the Strategy

Speaking at Routes Europe, Wizz Air Chief Commercial Officer Ian Malin said the aircraft no longer fits the airline’s business model following the closure of Wizz Air Abu Dhabi.

The Abu Dhabi operation had originally been expected to serve as the launch platform for many of the airline’s planned longer-range routes using the A321XLR. With that strategy abandoned, the need for dedicated long-haul narrowbody operations has largely disappeared.