Wizz Air UK (W9, London Luton) has delayed the entry into service of the A321-200NY(XLR) due to an "unforeseen issue during the delivery process," the airline told ch-aviation. The low-cost carrier did not disclose the new arrival timeline, and the reasons for the late delivery remain unknown.

The company had initially scheduled the first A321XLR revenue flight on the London Gatwick-Jeddah International route for March 31 but later moved the inaugural flight of the type to April 10.

Despite the delays in aircraft deliveries, the airline went ahead with its expansion plans and started London-Riyadh flights with A321-200NX aircraft. Due to its shorter range compared to the A321XLR, Wizz Air UK has limited the jet's passenger capacity in order to reduce its weight and allow for nonstop operations between two airports without the need for refuelling.

The first A321XLR for Wizz Air UK will be G-XLRA (msn 11631) and is set to become the first A321XLR in the group's fleet. Wizz Air Holdings has forty-seven A321XLRs on order across its four AOCs, also including Wizz Air, Wizz Air Malta, and Wizz Air Abu Dhabi.