The long-distance plane that could redraw the budget holiday map

A new extra long-range aircraft is set to redraw the budget holiday map, after Wizz Air announced its plans to put the Airbus A321XLR into operation by March 2025.

Wizz will fly the A321XLR from London Gatwick to Jeddah from March 31, 2025, with tickets starting from £134.99 one-way. The low-cost airline will also base one in Italy, operating daily flights between Milan Malpensa and Abu Dhabi, from June next year.

Airbus says the single-aisle aircraft has a maximum non-stop flying range of 11 hours (4,700 nautical miles), although Wizz will be using the A321XLR to a limit of eight hours, up from its existing maximum flight time of six hours. Here’s what we know about the aircraft set to transform the budget holiday map.

What is the A321XLR?

The Airbus A321XLR is effectively the same aircraft as the A321neo, but with an extra fuel tank allowing the plane to fly for longer. This is the widest of any single-aisle aircraft, with a capacity of 244 passengers, although it is up to airlines whether they kit out the plane with long-haul comforts like reclining seats, entertainment units and premium cabins. Wizz has no such plans, despite its Jeddah to Gatwick service being an overnight flight.

Which airlines have ordered the long-distance plane?

A number of other airlines have ordered the new Airbus A321XLR, including the Spanish carrier Iberia, which plans to be the first to fly the new narrowbody jet in November on a service from Madrid to Boston. In total, Airbus has received more than 550 orders for the A321XLR. American Airlines, Qantas, Air Canada and Indian budget carrier IndiGo are also expected to operate the aircraft.

EasyJet uses Airbus planes and has four A321neo within its fleet, although a spokesperson told Aviation Week that it does not have plans to put in an order for the XLR aircraft, describing it as “quite niche for the network we have”. Ryanair uses Boeing planes, namely the 737 and the 737 Max. British Airways has both Boeing and Airbus aircraft in its fleet, including the A321neo, but has not put in an order for the A321XLR. The same is true of Jet2, which added the Airbus A321neo to its fleet this summer.

Banjul, The Gambia

Flight time: 6hr 20m

The Gambia has been described in these very pages as an alternative to the Caribbean at half the price. The Coco Ocean Resort and Spa is one of the most luxurious hotel options, with rooms starting from around £170 per night. Beyond sun and sand, you’ll find exotic bird-watching experiences, forest walks alongside vervet monkeys and the chance to cruise the river Gambia in a dugout canoe. As it stands, most flights stop at Casablanca or Barcelona and take between 8 and 11 hours.

Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Flight time: 6hr 30m

The desert kingdom is investing $800 billion in developing its tourism industry, and Jeddah is a big part of those plans. Four Seasons and Raffles are among the big hotel groups to be investing in the city, and the country will host the men’s football World Cup in 2034 – more low-cost airlines could clamour to add Saudi Arabia to their schedules before then.

Freetown, Sierra Leone

Flight time: 6hr 40m

Coastal Sierra Leone has been touted as African tourism’s “next big thing” for years now, but it’s never quite materialised. From a UK point of view, this is because reaching Freetown’s airport is costly (rarely less than £800) and comes with one or two stops on the way. Idris Elba has plans for a futuristic tourist utopia on Sherbro Island, but the arrival of low-cost, direct flights could facilitate a more immediate transformation.

Tashkent, Uzbekistan

Flight time: 6hr 50m

The post-Soviet cities of Eastern Europe – Riga, Vilnius, Tallinn, Tbilisi – are already well served by low-cost airlines, but visiting Uzbekistan’s capital is like taking a time machine into a world of USSR surrealism. Right now, most flights from London to Tashkent operate via Istanbul, adding an extra three or four hours to what could be a sub-seven hour flight.

Abu Dhabi, UAE

Flight time: 6hr 55m

Given that Wizz has started its long-haul project with flights to Jeddah, and it already has a hub in Abu Dhabi (as of 2019), don’t be surprised to see flights from London to Zayed International Airport added in the not too distant future. The route is already competitive, with BA and Etihad offering flights from £350 upwards.

Muscat, Oman

Flight time: 7hr 10m

Unlike its flashy neighbours on the Gulf, Muscat has stayed true to its conservative roots, making for a more authentic travel experience – with a price tag to match. Oman Air currently offers direct flights starting from around £450 return, and there are longer options via Doha with Qatar. The Shangri-La Barr Al Jissah is an example of a five-star hotel at attainable prices, starting from £135 per night.

Dushanbe, Tajikistan

Flight time: 7hr 15m

Not the most obvious choice for a city break, but Dushanbe has been described on these pages as a “relaxed capital” laid out in Soviet fashion, with the two-mile Rudaki Avenue offering a gateway to the city’s best museums, parks, coffee and international cuisine. Given it only receives a trickle of British tourists, it won’t be the first choice of budget airlines.

St George’s, Bermuda

Flight time: 7hr 25m

The Telegraph’s Nigel Tisdall describes Bermuda as “like the Channel Island that ran away”. Smaller than Guernsey and 600 miles off the east coast of the USA, Bermuda has brilliant beaches and a climate that would lend itself to the budget holiday market. Wizz’s CEO József Váradi has said that he has no interest in transatlantic operations, but that’s not to say other low-cost operators won’t be tempted in the future.

New York City, USA

Flight time: 7hr 50m

Norwegian, Primera and Wow are among the airlines to have attempted the low-cost transatlantic model in recent years – and failed. Norse has stepped into this realm since 2021, but Wizz says it won’t touch the eighth-busiest route in the world from NYC to London. Given that the A321XLR is cost-effective, it could usher in a new era of super low-cost transatlantic flights if airlines are willing to take the plunge.