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Wizz Air announced via an Instagram post that services to Dubai and Abu Dhabi along with Jeddah and Amman will return to its network with 12 routes and 49 weekly flights starting in late October. The Hungarian ultra-low-cost carrier indicated that the expanded winter schedule will provide around 470,000 seats across the four destinations with bookings now open on its website and app. Wizz Air suspended its dedicated Abu Dhabi operations on September 1 2025 after exiting a joint venture with ADQ citing geopolitical situations regulatory challenges and competition according to statements summarised in Khaleej Times reporting.
The Abu Dhabi Media Office figures show that the carrier’s former local unit operated more than 19,000 flights and carried over 3.5 million point-to-point passengers in 2024 before the shutdown. Multiple European departure cities including Larnaca Budapest Cluj-Napoca Krakow Katowice Sofia and Bucharest will connect to the resumed routes on frequencies ranging from two to five flights per week a Cyprus Mail compilation of the schedule found. Wizz Air’s website lists the earliest available flights from both UAE airports on October 25 with introductory fares beginning at Dh289 for selected services.
Lufthansa Group airlines which had suspended flights to Abu Dhabi through October 24 due to the volatile regional situation are set to restart services to the UAE capital and Dubai immediately afterward according to the carrier’s current travel information page. The group’s advisory which also covers SWISS Austrian Airlines and others noted that safety remains the top priority while it continues monitoring developments in close contact with authorities. Passengers impacted by prior cancellations may rebook without charge to later dates or request full refunds the Lufthansa website stated.
Wizz Air’s return utilises its European bases rather than reviving the Abu Dhabi subsidiary a shift from the five-year presence that ended in September 2025 The National reported. The airline has yet to publish a complete breakdown of individual route allocations between the four cities or specify which subsidiaries will operate each service according to coverage in Gulf News. Earlier Lufthansa updates had placed suspensions to Dubai through May 31 before subsequent adjustments aligned the restart with the October timeline.
The resumption for both carriers follows a period in which several international airlines extended pauses to UAE and broader Middle East destinations as detailed in a September 6 overview by The National. Wizz Air maintained limited connectivity to the region through its Hungarian and Maltese operations even after the Abu Dhabi closure according to scheduling data reviewed by aviation outlets. Industry platforms show that fares for the renewed services are expected to rise closer to the winter peak months.
Lufthansa’s booking site currently lists connections from German cities such as Munich to Abu Dhabi with multiple weekly frequencies once the suspension lifts. The developments mark a step toward normalisation of European-UAE air links that were disrupted for more than a year by successive extensions of flight bans the carriers’ public updates indicated. No additional executive commentary accompanied the schedule announcements from either airline.
