Wizz Air carried passengers from the United Arab Emirates to Budapest with an hours-long detour – here is why.
According to Utazómajom, a Hungarian travel news media outlet, Wizz Air’s flight from Abu Dhabi, Dubai stops in Larnaca (Cyprus) to change crew and refill the jet fuel tanks. We could think about the war in the Middle East as a reason.
However, flights from Budapest to those destinations do not land in Cyprus but continue their journey in Iraqi airspace.
Passengers complain about the lack of information
Interestingly, the Hungarian low-cost airline does not inform its passengers about the longer travel time on its website. The detour costs +3-4 hours, which is significant considering the 2-hour-long travel time.
According to the passengers, Wizz provides no information about the detour and the long travel time, reaching almost eight hours in some cases. Meanwhile, the Hungarian low-cost airline states they inform their passengers about the modification, so it is difficult to know what is true.
Photo: FB/Wizz Air
Here is the official answer from Wizz Air
Based on the sources of Utazómajom, the passengers of Wizz Air’s Monday flight were told that the stop in Larnaca was a must due to the strong headwind. Without a refill on the island of Aphrodite, they would not have had enough jet fuel to reach Budapest.
Utazómajom asked about Wizz Air’s standpoint on the issue. The Hungarian budget airline said the route modification was due to the violent conflict in the Middle East. However, the measure is not permanent and does not affect all the flights.
Photo: FB/Wizz Air
Since the work time of their crew is strictly regulated, in some cases, their pilots must land in Cyprus to change the cabin crew. The airline added they regularly inform their passengers about the longer travel time and the extra stop. Passenger, crew and aircraft safety is of paramount importance for Wizz.
Here is a cockpit video of a Wizz Air Airbus A321Neo landing in Sarajevo:
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