Wizz Air Abu Dhabi clears final hurdle before commercial flight

The new kid in the UAE aviation sector, Wizz Air Abu Dhabi has gathered the Air Operator Certificate (AOC) from UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA).

Receiving an AOC is considered as one of the final steps for an airline in its regulatory processes before starting off the service. Wizz Air Abu Dhabi’s AOC GCAA affirms the airline’s compliance with all applicable requirements and deems it capable of fulfilling its responsibilities and conducting a safe and efficient operation.

Over the last 8 months, GCAA and Wizz Air Abu Dhabi went to great lengths to ensure that the period of unprecedented crisis in the airline industry due to COVID-19, travel restrictions and lockdowns of countries does not hamper the airline in obtaining the necessary requirements to acquire the operator certificate.

The airline conducted special demonstration flights for GCAA officials in its most modern aircraft, the Airbus A321 Neo to exhibit its operational capabilities. The first of its kind in the Middle East, the Airbus A321 Neo with its fuel-efficient P&W GTF engine received its operational certification in tandem with the Wizz Air Abu Dhabi AOC process.

“We congratulate Wizz Air for successfully obtaining the AOC after meeting all the required standards and passing all inspections. We are proud to add Wiz Air as a national carrier in the United Arab Emirates and I would like to thank all the employees of Wizz Air and the General Civil Aviation Authority team for the efforts that have been made for this achievement.”

Sharing his happiness about the certification Wizz Air Abu Dhabi Managing Director Kees Van Schaick shared that “The issuance of the AOC marks the most important milestone for us as we have now received all regulatory approvals to operate the airline. We have clearly demonstrated to the GCAA that we are fully capable of conducting a safe operation. We will offer our customers ultra-low fares, a quality inflight product by our excellent cabin crew and will make the lowest possible environmental impact along the way. Our new airline, majority-owned by our partner ADQ, will bring a lot of value to Abu Dhabi airport and the emirate of Abu Dhabi. We are very grateful for the professionalism and co-operation shown by the GCAA in getting to this stage and we will ensure that Wizz Air Abu Dhabi is a worthy addition to the established UAE national airlines.”