Copyright Simple Flying
Wizz Air is in the process of cutting down its order of 47 Airbus A321XLRs (Xtra Long Range) to just 10 to 15 examples. It is not reducing its orders for the A321, but is rather converting them to the shorter-ranged standard A321neo. Simple Flying previously reported that much of the decision was driven by Wizz Air's exit from Abu Dhabi, shutting down Wizz Air Abu Dhabi in September. Now, Wizz Air’s Chief Commercial and Operations Officer, Michael Delehant, spoke with Simple Flying, affirming the Abu Dhabi exit was a driving factor, while also providing more context for the sharp reduction in XLR orders. The airline is now focused on its UK business, while also noting its Saudi Arabian operations have gone well. But these operations do not require the same number of XLRs after the loss of Abu Dhabi. Here is what to know about why Wizz Air is reducing its XLR orders. Wizz Air Exit From Abu Dhabi Wizz Air established Wizz Air Abu Dhabi with the aim of creating a base in Abu Dhabi that would focus on expanding flights to India, Pakistan, and elsewhere beyond the Europe/Middle East region. However, the airline pulled out after it said it was sidelined with Abu Dhabi giving the rights to the routes to Etihad. Michael Delehant stated that "a big piece of the chunk" of Wizz Air's original vision when it ordered 47 XLRs was Abu Dhabi as a base. He added that from Abu Dhabi, Wizz Air would have been able to reach other parts of the world. In particular, Wizz Air wanted to exploit the large and growing low-cost market connecting the Middle East with South Asia. India's aviation market is rapidly growing, as is shown by its low-cost carrier, IndiGo, having almost 1,000 aircraft on order (mostly A320/A321neos). Without the Middle East as a base, there are just not the same number of routes available where it would make sense for Wizz Air to fly the XLR. Another factor affecting Wizz Air has been the airspace disruption over the Middle East from the conflict between Iran, Israel, and other players. Airbus A321XLRs Are Heavier & Less Efficient Without longer-haul routes that require the extended range of XLR, the aircraft is left comparatively more expensive and less efficient than its standard NEO counterpart. Delehant stated, "But honestly, for the short routes, the XLRs are a bit heavier. They're going to cost a bit more to fly the same amount as the NEO." The XLR will burn more fuel simply because it is heavier, both because it carries more fuel and because the airframe is heavier. The latter factor can't be overcome by simply not fueling them up as much. This makes sense as the baseline NEO has a typical max take-off weight (MTOW) of 206,000 lbs, rising to 213,600 lbs for the A321LR, and 222,700 lbs for the A321XLR. The empty weight rises from around 108,000 lbs for the NEO to around 118,000 lbs for XLR due to the weight from extra tanks and structural reinforcement. Put another way, the XLR has a longer range, but it comes with a weight and increased fuel burn penalty. The A321neo family enjoys a 15-30% lower fuel burn per seat compared with previous-generation aircraft. While the XLR also has a significantly lower fuel burn compared with previous generation aircraft, it is not as much as the NEO. The XLR is an excellent aircraft, filling the mid-sized airplane market left void by the termination of the Boeing 757, but it is not ideal for shorter-haul flights that don't require its extended range. Wizz Air's XLR's Performance Is Lower Airbus advertises the XLR with a 4,700 nautical mile range and a flight time of 11 hours non-stop. This is considerably more than the LR (4,000 nautical miles) and the NEO (3,500 nautical miles). Meanwhile, Boeing advertises its MAX with a range of 3,100 to 3,800 nautical miles. The MAX 8 has the longest in-service range (3,500 nautical miles) while the MAX 7 (3,800 nautical miles) is still waiting for its type certificate. But this is all on paper, with both Airbus and Boeing motivated to paint the best images for their competing aircraft. The real world is more complicated with payload, jetstreams, and other factors influencing ranges. Wizz Air's CEO told Simple Flying, "You know, as the aircraft [XLR] has come off of paper and into reality, it's not quite got the range and the performance that was expected." Delehant did not elaborate on how much lower the range of the aircraft is or what factors are driving it. Other airlines have continued to order the jet, and it is coming to be the narrowbody airliner of choice to service transatlantic routes, replacing aging Boeing 757s and offering a smaller alternative to widebody aircraft. Iberia, JetBlue, United, American, Icelandair, and others are (or are planning) to operate it on transatlantic flights. Wizz Air's Troubled A321neo PW1000G Engines Wizz Air's A321neo family aircraft are powered by the Pratt & Whitney PW1000G. This has turned out to be the less popular option compared with the CFM International LEAP engine. This was made worse after PW1000G engines were found to have a manufacturing defect caused by contaminated powdered metal. This can lead to cracking in the engine's high-pressure turbine components. Disruptions and groundings are expected to continue into 2026. Michael Delehant explained that Wizz Air is using the PW1000G engines on the NEO to be more fuel efficient. He added, "I can't shoo up more engines. I need to keep them flying." These engines offer a 15–20% better fuel efficiency compared with the older A320ceo aircraft with their CFM56 engines. But while these engines are more efficient, they have been plagued by reliability and durability issues. Flying them to the Middle East is increasing the maintenance and aircraft grounding headache for Wizz Air. He mentioned that the engine has performance limitations in hot-and-high or harsh environments like the Middle East. Unfortunately for Wizz Air, the PW1000G has been notoriously sensitive in harsh Middle Eastern conditions. The high rates of engine removals and maintenance delays have forced Wizz Air to ground aircraft. He said now is "not the time and place" to use the A321neos with their sensitive engines on hot and sandy routes. No Transatlantic Flights & No ETOPS Delehant stated, "We're not doing ETOPS, so the overwater flight of the US, which would be another logical thing to do with the XLR." Wizz Air does not have ETOPS certification for its A321neo aircraft, and this prevents it from flying over most direct routes over large bodies of water, making Atlantic crossings more difficult. Extended-range A321neos and Boeing 757s are two of the few narrowbody aircraft able to connect the US and Western Europe. The XLR is built with the range to reach many destinations in North America. This is something JetBlue and IcelandAir are already doing. But Wizz Air will need ETOPS approval to operate across the Atlantic. Transatlantic routes are dominated by three airline alliances and are a "difficult nut to crack". Wizz Air has previously attempted to get US permits for routes, but was rejected or held up by the US DOT. It seems one of the main hindrances to Wizz Air getting ETOPS certification is the same engine reliability issues mentioned above. By contrast, JetBlue's A321LRs and A321XLRs are ETOPS certified, enabling easy transatlantic flights. Still, JetBlue's A321neo family aircraft are also powered by PW1000G engines, as are Icelandair's aircraft. Lacking ETOPS, Wizz Air flights to the Maldives are forced to follow a longer route, hugging the coast. XLR-length Routes Are Limited In the meantime, Wizz Air will purchase a modest fleet of XLRs. While the aircraft's engines continue to have issues operating in the Middle East, Michael Delehant is happy with the way its operations are going in Saudi Arabia. He said the airline will continue to keep "the small footprint" in Saudi Arabia, noting "the demand has been excellent and going well there." While Wizz Air closed its hub in Abu Dhabi, that doesn't mean the airline has left Abu Dhabi. Wizz Air is continuing to operate flights from European destinations to Abu Dhabi. Even so, the loss of the hub has restricted or largely closed off Wizz Air's opportunities to fly to the Indian subcontinent.
