Wizz Air Abu Dhabi is adding Alexandria in Egypt to its network from Feb. 22, putting the ULCC in direct competition with rival Air Arabia Abu Dhabi.

The Wizz Air unit, a joint venture between the Hungarian airline and Abu Dhabi state holding company ADQ, plans to connect Abu Dhabi International (AUH) with Alexandria’s Borg Al Arab International (HBE) three times per week. Flights will be on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays using Airbus A321neo aircraft.

“Alexandria is an exciting destination steeped in history located on Mediterranean waters,” Wizz Air Abu Dhabi MD Kees Van Schaick said.

“The UAE and Egypt provide a popular travel corridor for residents and tourists in the region, and we are committed to providing options that are more viable and affordable for travelers.”

Alexandria is one of Egypt’s largest cities and a major economic driver. The city extends 40 km (25 mi.) along the country’s northern coast and is situated by the Mediterranean Sea.

Wizz Air Abu Dhabi originally intended to start flying to the destination last October, but the airline’s launch was delayed as a second wave of COVID-19 cases brought new travel restrictions and further dampened passenger demand.

The startup instead began commercial operations on Jan. 15 with flights from AUH to Athens (ATH), operating 2X-weekly on Mondays and Fridays. A second route to Greece started on Feb. 4, connecting AUH with Thessaloniki (SKG).

According to OAG Schedules Analyser, Etihad provided regular service between AUH and HBE until April 2012, resuming the route for a limited time in July and August 2019. However, the route remained unserved until Air Arabia Abu Dhabi began operating in July 2020.

Air Arabia Abu Dhabi currently flies 3X-weekly between AUH and HBE, providing about 1,044 two-way weekly seats on board Airbus A320s.

Air Arabia Egypt is already the number one carrier at HBE by departure seats. OAG data shows that in 2019 the Emirati LCC had a 19.1% share of all seats.

Photo credit: Wizz Air Abu Dhabi