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Wizz Air Secures UKUS Charter Approval for World Cup Travel

The carrier will deploy A321XLR jets to run time-limited group flights tied to 2026 tournament demand.

Overview

  • Wizz Air announced on March 6 that it received UK and US permits to operate transatlantic services on a charter basis after filing its application on January 23.
  • The authorization is limited to whole-aircraft charters, and the airline says it has no plans to launch scheduled commercial routes open to individual passengers.
  • Initial operations will target European teams, supporters and organized tour groups traveling to 2026 FIFA World Cup fixtures across U.S. host cities, with summer charter enquiries now open.
  • Beyond the tournament, the airline is marketing transatlantic charters to corporate clients, sports organizations, tour operators and private groups.
  • The plan is enabled by newly introduced A321XLR narrowbodies that provide the range for point-to-point UKUS sectors, following recent longer-range deployments.