Kuwaiti airlines resume limited service as airport reopens

Kuwaiti airlines have resumed limited flights from the country’s international airport following its closure due to the Iran war.

An Iranian drone hit Kuwait International Airport’s radar system on March 15.

The Gulf state reopened its airspace on Saturday. 

In a post on X, Sheikh Humoud Al-Sabah, the head of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, said the move “comes as part of a carefully studied phased plan to gradually resume air traffic, paving the way for the full operation of the airport in the coming period”. 

Flag carrier Kuwait Airways reopened on Sunday at Terminal 4 with flights to Cairo, Amman, Delhi, Mumbai and Manila.

“Services will expand gradually in the coming weeks,” acting CEO of Kuwait Airways Abdulwahab Al-Shatti told the state-run Kuwait News Agency .

The airline intends to connect to 35 destinations this week, with 13 routes already resumed and more pending approvals.

Kuwait-listed low-cost carrier Jazeera Airways operated six flights to Beirut, Cairo, Istanbul and Mumbai, flying more than 2,000 passengers on Sunday from Terminal 5. 

“Today’s departures from Jazeera Terminal 5 mark a defining milestone in our return to direct connectivity from Kuwait,” said CEO Barathan Pasupathi

The airline has scheduled 48 flights to Beirut, Cairo, Istanbul, Mumbai, Amman, Damascus, Delhi, Kochi, Jeddah and Riyadh until May 2.

It will continue flights to other destinations via Dammam as direct flights will be operated for limited hours from the terminal.

Further reading:

• Kuwait Airways’ revenue rises as it cuts costs by 20%
• Passenger volume up at Egypt’s airports despite Iran war
• Kuwait Airways to write off $983m in accumulated losses

Founded in 2004, Jazeera Airways’ major shareholders are The Boodai Group and Jassim Mohammad Al Mousa General Trading.

The stock closed at KD1,700 on Sunday. The carrier’s share price has gained 48 percent in the past year.