Wizz Air closes Abu Dhabi base – good decision, but problems were foreseeable

Wizz Air's 14-Jul-2205 announcement that it would close its Abu Dhabi base from 1-Sep-2025 was not really a surprise. The group had signalled that it would at least scale back the operation, which is a joint venture with Abu Dhabi Development Holding Company.

Now into its fifth year, Wizz Air Abu Dhabi accounts for only c5% of Wizz Air Group seats and aircraft, but it reduced the group's net profit by 15% in FY2025.

Moreover, the joint venture has never reported a positive annual result.

The group will refocus its strategy on its core network in Central and Eastern Europe, after struggling with operational, geopolitical and traffic rights challenges in Abu Dhabi.

It can be argued that much of the rationale for closing Wizz Air Abu Dhabi was foreseeable at the launch of the business. Nevertheless, with little prospect of lifting it to profitability, it is a sensible decision to cut the losses and walk away.