Wizz Air Abu Dhabi carried 1.2 million passengers in 2022

Wizz Air Abu Dhabi, a joint venture between UAE holding company ADQ and Wizz Air in Hungary, operated more than 6,000 flights and carried more than 1.2 million passengers last year as the aviation sector bounced back strongly from the Covid-19 pandemic.

The airline, which launched in 2021 in the middle of the pandemic, also doubled the size of its fleet from four to eight new A321 neo aircraft, it said in a statement on Friday.

The average age of aircraft in its fleet is one year, ensuring the airline "meets its commitment to sustainability", it said.

"Our incredible growth during 2022 reflects our commitment to making affordable travel possible for everyone and continuing the growth of the burgeoning tourism sector in the UAE," said Michael Berlouis, managing director of Wizz Air Abu Dhabi.

"Our expanding fleet of ... Airbus A321 neo aircraft serves an ever-growing number of must-see travel destinations and we are ambitious in continuing to deliver travel options that are more convenient and affordable for everyone."

Global airlines continued to benefit from increased air-travel demand in November, with all regions recording growth, according to the latest report released by the International Air Transport Association (Iata).

Total passenger traffic worldwide increased 41.3 per cent annually in November, reaching 75.3 per cent of pre-pandemic levels, Iata said.

International passenger traffic nearly doubled from the previous November, rising 85.2 per cent and also reaching 73.7 per cent of November 2019 levels.

Middle Eastern airlines recorded an 84.6 per cent year-on-year growth in November, virtually unchanged from October. Seat capacity in November increased 45.4 per cent year on year. Load factor, a measure of how well airlines fill available seats, climbed 16.5 percentage points to 77.7 per cent.

Airlines around the world are on track to return to profit in 2023, after reducing losses in 2022, as passenger demand continues to improve and Covid-19 restrictions ease, despite economic headwinds, Iata said in a separate report.

The global industry is expected to collectively earn a net income of $4.7 billion in 2023 — the first time it will return to the black since 2019, when it recorded a profit of $26.4 billion — while revenue is projected to reach $779 billion, Iata said in its latest forecast in December.

Wizz Air currently flies to 36 destinations in 25 countries from Abu Dhabi and "is ready to accelerate and expand operations further in 2023", it said.

The airline is now the second-largest in Abu Dhabi by seat capacity.

Wizz Air carried more than 600,000 point-to-point passengers to the UAE in 2022, "supporting the sustainable growth of Abu Dhabi’s culture and tourism sectors and unlocking an eclectic mix of travel opportunities for travellers from all classes", it said.