Wizz Air has parked six of its 10 Airbus A321XLRs and is removing engines from three of the grounded jets for use on A321neos. Two additional XLRs have been temporarily withdrawn from London Gatwick and moved to Katowice, Poland, as the low-cost carrier trims back its long-haul ambitions and refocuses the aircraft on short-haul flying within Europe.
The latest fleet move follows a broader retreat from the airline’s original long-range strategy. One A321XLR is also understood to be in Milan after suffering ground damage, while the parked aircraft in Poland are expected to return to service on shorter routes. The redeployment of engines points to tight fleet management across Wizz Air’s narrowbody network, with available powerplants being shifted to aircraft that are still flying.
Wizz Air has already scaled back its plans for the XLR programme, converting much of its orderbook to standard A321neos. That leaves the type increasingly used as a conventional narrowbody rather than as a tool for sustained long-haul expansion, despite the aircraft’s extra range capability.