Dubai World Central Starts Passenger Flights

The first passenger services to Dubai World Central (DWC) start today with the arrival of Wizz Air’s first flight from Budapest.

The low-cost carrier, which operates 40 A320s, is also starting flights from Bucharest, Kiev and Sofia to DWC this week.

Although DWC has been handling cargo flights, the start of passenger services is a significant milestone, projecting Dubai into the realm of two-airport cities.

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Promotional rates for the inaugural Budapest flight were as low as €25 (Dhs126), and return fares for travel this week are averaging Dhs450 return.

Wizz Air’s Daniel de Carvalho joked that low fares such as these “are truly insane – we’re losing our heads over these fares”.

But passengers shouldn’t less theirs. The low-cost carrier (LCC) model isn’t always about low fares, and passengers must factor in taxes and fees that can add up to the base price, particularly if they book close to departure, as well as budget in taxi fares in and out of the city when travelling through the new out-of-town airport.

Wizz Air’s arrival raises competition with flydubai – which flies double daily to Kiev, albeit from Dubai International – and its recent entrance into the package holiday market, selling holidays through wizztours.com, shows it is keen to broaden its travel offering.

Last week Gulf Air announced it will operate one of its daily services from Bahrain into DWC from December 8, providing more evidence of the new airport slipping into gear.

A Dubai Airshow media event will be held on Wednesday to promote the global trade exhibition that will run between November 17-21.