Budapest, Hungary: Wizz Air, Europe’s fastest growing and most sustainable airline, is launching exciting new routes from Dammam, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, to Rome, Vienna and Abu Dhabi. The Abu Dhabi route will be operated by Wizz Air Abu Dhabi, Wizz Air’s joint venture airline with ADQ. Launching in September 2022, the new destinations are the first step towards a growing presence in KSA which will provide for the first time truly affordable, hassle-free, point to point travel for tourists and residents in the Kingdom, Europe and the UAE, strengthening global connectivity.

The new routes by Wizz Air introduce a new era of travel to the Residents of KSA by unlocking affordable travel opportunities and giving them access to WIZZ’s incredibly low fares. Tickets for all routes are already on sale on wizzair.com and the airline’s mobile app, with fares starting from 24.99€.*

Last month Wizz Air signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of Investment for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia supported by the Saudi National Air Connectivity Programme (a Ministry of Tourism initiative) to support the development of the Saudi Tourism Sector. The MoU reflects a shared vision between the parties on the potential Wizz Air could bring to the Kingdom to stimulate tourist demand, thereby making a significant contribution to Saudi Arabia’s planned growth.

The new destinations support the growing Saudi Arabian tourism sector, aligning with the Vision 2030 programme, a strategic and ambitious vision to triple passenger traffic in the Kingdom by 2030. The ultra-low-cost routes will boost the burgeoning tourism industry and significantly increase connectivity for residents in Europe and the region, with key strategic government partners collaborating to add to the Saudi aviation ecosystem.

Robert Carey, President of Wizz Air, said: “Wizz Air is committed to increasing global connectivity to marvellous destinations with real opportunities for growth and expansion. Saudi Arabia is a very exciting market and our expansion will bring ultra-low cost travel to the Kingdom. Our regular flights to Dammam will provide year-round sun for tourists, and provide a mix of destinations for residents of the Kingdom. We want to thank our partners for their support during the expansion, especially the Air Travel Connectivity Programme, the Ministry of Investment, GACA, the Dammam airport, and the government of Saudi Arabia. The recently signed MoU demonstrates our commitment to supporting travelers to and from Saudi by bringing in a new era of air travel with our ultra-low fares, point-to-point network, and high quality onboard service. Unlocking travel opportunities for everyone is the core of our brand and we will keep delivering on that by granting access to travelers to and from Saudi to our incredibly low fares. The WIZZ team is looking forward to welcoming passengers of all ages onboard our modern, young, and green aircraft soon, and to supporting the 2030 vision.”

Khalil Lamrabet, CEO of The Air Connectivity Program, said: “We are delighted to have been able to work with both Wizz Air and Dammam Airport to grow traffic, in particular inbound tourism, from key European markets into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. We look forward to the success of these routes and working with both our partners to grow the Wizz Air network into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.”

Fahd bin Sulaiman Al-Harbi, CEO of Dammam Airports Company, said: “We are very happy to welcome Wizz Air flights at King Fahd International Airport. Strengthening the global connectivity of the Kingdom is very important and Dammam Airport Company (DACO) continues to develop new destinations to serve the citizens and residents of the Eastern province. We are ready to welcome tourists and impress them with the beauty of Dammam ”

Dammam, a modern metropolis nestled on the tranquil Arabian Gulf, offers visitors green parks, airy waterfronts, and sandy beaches alongside a bustling arts, sports, and entertainment scene. The capital of the Eastern Province, Dammam is a popular location with adventurous travellers, who can enjoy fishing, diving, and swimming.

Vienna, rich in history and splendidly located on the banks of the Danube River, has many great sightseeing opportunities with an unmistakably cosmopolitan atmosphere. One of the greenest and most visited cities in the world, Vienna is renowned for Imperial Palaces and magnificent museums, with a distinctive charm and flair from the fine old architecture with Viennese culture awaiting.

Rome is one of the world’s most romantic, historic and charismatic cities, and is exhilarating for any tourist with an astonishing artistic heritage. The city’s centre is on the UNESCO World Heritage List and the Eternal City has over 900 churches and 3,000 years of ad-hoc urban development to explore with an exciting mix of countless ruins, art, basilicas, piazzas and statues. Unmissable sights include St Peter’s Basilica, the Sistine Chapel and the Colosseum.  

Basking in glorious year round sunshine, Abu Dhabi is a world-renowned family friendly destination with incredible art, culture, tradition and hospitality offerings. The UAE capital, blessed with stunning beach resorts, excellent cultural offerings and exciting attractions offers visitors a warm welcome and breath taking natural and built beauty. The city offers an enriching historical experience and a bustling culture to explore with a plethora of both relaxation and adventure options to suit all ages.

The easing of COVID-19 restrictions and the removal of PCR test requirements for vaccinated travellers has made travel simpler again, allowing for more spontaneous trips abroad.

For ultimate peace of mind during this uncertain time, passengers can book tickets with confidence, thanks to WIZZ Flex. With WIZZ Flex, passengers can cancel their flight up to three hours before departure without any fee and receive 100% of the fare immediately reimbursed in airline credit.

-Ends-

*One-way price, including administration fee. One carry-on bag (max: 40x30x20cm) is included. Trolley bag and each piece of checked-in baggage is subject to additional fees. The price applies only to bookings made on wizzair.com and the WIZZ mobile app. Number of seats at indicated prices are limited.

About Wizz Air    

Wizz Air, the fastest growing and most sustainable European ultra-low-cost airline, operates a fleet of 153 Airbus A320 and A321 aircraft. A team of dedicated aviation professionals delivers superior service and very low fares, making Wizz Air the preferred choice of 27.1 million passengers in the Financial Year F22 ending 31 March 2022. Wizz Air is listed on the London Stock Exchange under the ticker WIZZ. The company was recently named one of the world's top ten safest airlines by airlineratings.com, the world's only safety and product rating agency, and 2020 Airline of the Year by ATW, the most coveted honour an airline or individual can receive, recognising individuals and organisations that have distinguished themselves through outstanding performance, innovation, and superior service.

ABOUT THE AIR CONNECTIVITY PROGRAM

The Air Connectivity Program is an initiative of the Saudi National Tourism Strategy established in 2021 by the Saudi Arabia Council of Ministers’ resolution.  The intent is to enable Tourism Air Connectivity in support of the development of the Tourism Sector in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

  • All Wizz Air flights are operated on Airbus A320 aircraft, with 180 seats and A321 aircraft with 230 seats and Airbus A320neo aircraft with 186 seats and Airbus A321neo aircraft with 239 seats
  • Wizz Air has introduced a range of enhanced hygiene measures which include; cabin crew and passengers are required to wear facemasks, cabin crew are required to wear gloves, onboard purchases are encouraged to be made by contactless payment, passengers are requested to follow physical distancing measures and all purchases are encouraged to be made online prior to the flight.
  • HEPA filters on all Wizz Air aircraft already filter out 99.97% of viruses and bacteria from the air and all aircraft are regularly put through an industry-leading disinfection process with an antiviral solution and, following WIZZ’s stringent daily cleaning schedule, all of the airline’s aircraft are further disinfected overnight with the same antiviral solution.
  • For more information on the enhanced health and hygiene measures, please see here.
  • For free pictures of aircraft, crews and logo library please visit http://wizzair.com/en-GB/press

Press Office:
E-mail: wizzair@fourcommunications.com