Wizz Air, the European budget airline, has announced plans to expand its fleet beyond 200 aircraft in 2018 and to 500 by 2030. The budget airline’s core growth will still be aimed towards Central and Eastern Europe, however, Wizz Air President, Robert Carey noted the Middle East also presents a great opportunity. Wizz is capitalising on the Middle East’s growing low-cost airline market, which is seeing travellers in the region opt for cheaper options. Its Abu Dhabi joint venture with the emirate’s sovereign wealth fund, Wizz Air Abu Dhabi, will also begin servicing the capital of the United Arab Emirates this year. The company announced it will expand its flights to many European destinations including Barcelona, Napoli, Bari, Rome and Berlin, and is also planning to increase the number of routes during the summer to Saudi Arabia from 12 to 24.