SEATTLE: The case for Wizz Air’s joint venture in Abu Dhabi is stronger than ever following the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the company’s CEO.

“The strategic rationale for Abu Dhabi has not changed; if anything it has become a better proposition,” CEO Jozsef Varadi said at the CAPALive online conference. “COVID has forced the industry to restructure and we may have opportunities we would not have had otherwise.”

Wizz Air Abu Dhabi, a joint venture between the Abu Dhabi government and Switzerland-headquartered Wizz Air Holdings, launched its inaugural flight to Athens in January and has since offered destinations in Egypt, Armenia, Georgia, Israel, Kazakhstan, Oman, Serbia and Ukraine.

While the airline’s expansion plans have been curtailed by travel restrictions, it has been using the time to sort out the company’s strategic fundamentals, said Varadi.

“When the market is ready we can scale up the business very quickly,” he said. “We have been incredibly quick and efficient in moving aircraft and staff. The recovery phase of the industry will be incredibly interesting.”

“I am very upbeat on Abu Dhabi,” he said.