Gus Gardner, travel and tourism analyst, GlobalData, commented, “Wizz Air’s launch will certainly disrupt the market, offering competitive fares and opening up underserved destinations that could bear fruit for the airline. Abu Dhabi has long been a market dominated by full-service carriers, with Etihad Airways being the largest player. Low-cost competition has been limited to inbound airlines, often only serving one city pair, and the market has been in desperate need of low-cost disruption.”

According to GlobalData’s latest COVID-19 Recovery Survey, a staggering 87 percent of respondents were ‘extremely’, ‘quite’, or ‘slightly’ concerned about their personal financial position. The carrier’s ability to target price-conscious travellers will allow the city to better capture those who may put off travel due to financial concerns. 

Gardner continued, “Wizz Air will support Abu Dhabi’s tourism recovery post-COVID-19. The airline’s ability to offer some of the lowest fares will help address the largest deterrent to travel – affordability. The airline’s affordable connectivity, and ability to undercut its competitors’ fares, is likely to increase the attractiveness of Abu Dhabi as a tourist destination and could be pivotal to supporting the emirate’s recovery efforts. This situation will be a win-win for both the emirate and the airline, and could allow for quicker recovery timelines in the process. Abu Dhabi could now be better equipped to compete with its nearest competitor – Dubai.”