Wizz Air said it was exiting its Abu Dhabi operation to focus on its main eastern European market, after almost two years of turmoil in the Middle East wiped out any chance of making a profit there.

Wizz CEO József Váradi said returning to Wizz's "bread and butter" of central and eastern Europe, where it competes with Europe's biggest airline Ryanair, would boost profits.

"We have been underinvesting in this market over the last few years. Now we can go back to the full spirit of continuously exploiting the market," he told Reuters.

Even before the heightened tensions in the region, Váradi said Wizz's low-cost model was struggling to work in Abu Dhabi because engines degrade faster in the hot, harsh environment, making its operations there less efficient.

Secondly, Wizz had not been granted the market access it had been promised to India and Pakistan when it first decided to open Abu Dhabi, limiting the growth potential.

Wizz said it will stop flights from Abu Dhabi in September.