Wizz Air has incorporated its 200th Airbus A320neo family aircraft into service with the arrival of a new A321XLR, according to company announcements. The addition lowered the average fleet age to 4.2 years, with the A321neo model assigned to the London Luton Airport base.
The A321XLR, registered G-XLRA, was delivered from Airbus facilities in Hamburg Finkenwerder to London Luton Airport on May 21, completing a 1-hour-38-minute flight. This marks Wizz Air as the third operator worldwide of the extended-range variant and the first to equip it with Pratt & Whitney geared turbofan engines. The aircraft joined Wizz Air UK operations and debuted on scheduled short-haul flights starting May 23 before launching daily service from London Gatwick to Jeddah on May 26.
Wizz Air operates a fleet of 237 aircraft, predominantly A321neo variants powered by Pratt & Whitney GTF engines on 276 A320neo family planes. The carrier plans 50 new deliveries this financial year amid challenges, including 46 A320neo family aircraft grounded due to engine issues, prompting wet-leasing of up to seven planes. Passenger numbers are forecast to reach 75 million in fiscal 2025/26, up from 62.8 million. Separately, the airline is reducing its A321XLR order from 47 to 10-15 units.
One A321XLR, G-XLRA, sustained a tailstrike at Prague Airport on September 11, damaging the aft fuselage and grounding it since, with investigators noting a descent rate increase to 768 feet per minute at low altitude.