October 6, 2026 — Wizz Air (W6) has pushed its return to Abu Dhabi back from late October to January 10, 2027, and suspended its new Budapest–Amman route until October 25.
What happened
Wizz Air had planned to restart six Abu Dhabi (AUH) routes between October 25 and 27. Gulf News and FlightGlobal reported on October 5 that all six are now delayed to January 10, 2027. The delay removes 20 weekly flights from the winter schedule.
The airline gave two linked reasons. Iraqi airspace remains closed, which forces longer routings and a refuelling stop for its Airbus A321neos. Add current fuel prices, and Wizz says the routes are “commercially unviable” for now.
| Route | Was due to start | Now |
|---|---|---|
| Abu Dhabi – Budapest (BUD) | October 25–27, 2026 | January 10, 2027 |
| Abu Dhabi – Katowice (KTW) | October 25–27, 2026 | January 10, 2027 |
| Abu Dhabi – Kraków (KRK) | October 25–27, 2026 | January 10, 2027 |
| Abu Dhabi – Sofia (SOF) | October 25–27, 2026 | January 10, 2027 |
| Abu Dhabi – Cluj-Napoca (CLJ) | October 25–27, 2026 | January 10, 2027 |
| Abu Dhabi – Larnaca (LCA) | October 25–27, 2026 | January 10, 2027 |
| Budapest – Amman (AMM) | Already flying; launched less than a month ago | Suspended until October 25, 2026 |
The Amman suspension follows revised European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) advice on Jordanian airspace. EASA’s guidance against using Iraqi airspace currently runs to November 16, 2026, Travel and Tour World reports.
Wizz Air announced its UAE comeback only in September, with 32 weekly flights on eight routes, according to Travels Dubai. The status of the other two routes was not addressed in the reports. The airline closed its Abu Dhabi subsidiary in 2025.
Wizz says it will contact booked passengers directly with their options. January 10 is the current plan, not a guarantee; it depends on how the airspace advice changes.
What it means for non-revs
- Twenty weekly flights to Abu Dhabi are gone until January. Low-fare travelers who would have used them now have to buy seats on other carriers between Central and Eastern Europe and the UAE. Expect those flights to be fuller through the holidays.
- Do not build a trip around January 10. The restart has already slipped once. If you are positioning to the Gulf for a standby flight, keep a second routing in hand.
- Amman via Budapest is out until at least October 25. If Jordan is on your list this month, look at other carriers and check their own status first.
- Staff travel on Wizz itself: check your own airline’s agreement list before assuming it is an option. Nothing in this announcement changes any interline or ZED terms.
- The wider lesson. Middle East schedules are still moving with EASA advice. Check the operating status the day before you travel, on any carrier that crosses the region.
Sources
- FlightGlobal — Wizz Air pushes back Abu Dhabi return as EASA updates security advice
- Gulf News — Wizz Air Postpones Abu Dhabi Routes to January 2027 Amid Airspace Restrictions
- Aviation A2Z — Wizz Air Delays 6 Flight Resumptions to Safest City in the World
- Travel and Tour World — Wizz Air Delays Six Abu Dhabi Routes to January 2027 as EASA Security Guidance Disrupts Middle East Return
- Travels Dubai — Wizz Air delays Abu Dhabi return to January 2027 over airspace concerns
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