Company Insights Kuwait Airways Aviation Kuwait Airways Overview Kuwait Airways (KAC) is the country’s national carrier and has its headquarters at Kuwait International Airport. The airline flies to 58 direct destinations including across the Middle East, and to India, Europe, Southeast Asia and North America. Established in 1953 as Kuwait National Airways, it was 50 percent funded by the government. It signed a five-year management contract with British International Airways to operate charter flights and maintenance services. Kuwait Airways took over BIA in 1959 and in 1963 the government increased its holding to 100 percent. The company started flights to London – its first European destination – in 1964 and further expanded its route network the following year. As part of expansion plans, Kuwait Airways wants to increase its fleet to 50 by 2030, of which eight to 10 aircraft will be leased. Kuwait Airways says it aims to “become a catalyst” for the future economy of Kuwait and the neighbouring regions and to build a strong relationship with the local community, especially with suppliers. Subsidiaries include Kuwait Aviation Services Co, Automated Systems Co and Alafco. In 2023 SkyTrax named Kuwait Airways the “World’s Most Improved Airline”. Kuwait Airways News Aviation Riyadh Air takes aim at online travel giants Saudi Arabia’s new airline, Riyadh Air, is to compete with global travel companies such as Booking.com and Expedia by developing a one-stop digital platform for customers to plan and manage entire trips. The website will cover flights, accommodation, car rentals, AI-generated itineraries and tickets to attractions and concerts. It will also include shared shopping cart […] October 31, 2024 Aviation Kuwait Airways 2023 revenue soars 16% to $1bn Increased passenger volume and flight operations increased revenues at Kuwait Airways by 16 percent in 2023. The topline reached KD335 million ($1.1 billion) last year, as the number of flights soared 26 percent year on year to 32,839, the state-run Kuwait News Agency reported, citing chairman Abdulmohsen Alfagaan. No details were shared on profit or […] October 11, 2024 Aviation Airlines suspend flights to Middle East Airlines in the Middle East have cancelled some flights and rerouted others after Iran fired more than 180 ballistic missiles at Israel. Shares in some European airlines and travel companies fell on Wednesday by up to 2.7 percent after Israel’s neighbours closed airspace and airline crews skirted the conflict zone. Many airlines have suspended operations […] October 2, 2024 Aviation Kuwait aircraft lessor Alafco slashes losses Kuwait’s state-funded aircraft leasing firm, Alafco, has cut its annual net losses by 98 percent, the company said at its latest earnings presentation. Alafco, whose shareholders include the Kuwaiti government, said operating lease revenue dropped by 63 percent to KD35.9 million ($116.74 million) for the financial year ending on September 30. However, this was made […] January 4, 2024 Dubai Airshow Aviation Emirates chief bemoans Boeing and Airbus duopoly Emirates chairman and chief executive Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum has bemoaned the duopoly that exists between Boeing and Airbus Group when it comes to the production of wide-body aircraft. The Dubai flag carrier has experienced lengthy delivery delays stretching back five years for its Boeing 777X aircraft, while concerns were also raised this […] November 15, 2023 Aviation Kuwait’s Jazeera Airways’ profits slump 36.1% Kuwaiti low-cost carrier Jazeera Airways has reported a 36.1 percent drop in profits for the first nine months of the year with a warning that over-capacity issues could further impact margins. The airline, which sits second in the country behind Kuwait Airways, saw revenues increase 12.8 percent year-on-year over the period and passenger numbers were […] November 8, 2023 Opinion Aviation Gulf Air is battling for Bahrain’s skies Can another strategic turn really be successful? October 24, 2023 Transport Kuwait airport passenger numbers flying higher Passenger traffic through Kuwait International Airport is forecast to grow by 7 percent this year, fuelled by increased activity across the summer months. Total passenger numbers to and from the airport is expected to reach 15.5 million, according to the Gulf state’s Directorate General of Aviation, up from 14.46 million passengers reported in 2022. Abdullah […] August 28, 2023 Transport Kuwait Airways cuts losses by 50% as revenue soars Kuwait Airways has trimmed its losses in half from KD107 million ($347 million) in 2021 to KD55 million ($178.4 million) in 2022. “Kuwait Airways has achieved positive results, which were better than expected in 2022,” state-run Kuna news agency reported, citing chairman Ali Aldukhan. Total passenger revenues reached KD289.1 million, up 11 percent year-on-year. Passenger […] August 21, 2023 Video length: 03:07 Analysis Aviation How the battle for the Gulf’s skies has intensified Across and around the Arabian Gulf regional airlines find themselves returning to a very different and increasingly volatile market after the pandemic. Pre-Covid, aviation in the Gulf and many neighbouring nations was largely defined and dominated by Emirates, Qatar Airways and Etihad. Now, as the Big Three pursue resurgence, they are being increasingly challenged, not […] May 8, 2023 Posts navigation 1 2 Next
Aviation Riyadh Air takes aim at online travel giants Saudi Arabia’s new airline, Riyadh Air, is to compete with global travel companies such as Booking.com and Expedia by developing a one-stop digital platform for customers to plan and manage entire trips. The website will cover flights, accommodation, car rentals, AI-generated itineraries and tickets to attractions and concerts. It will also include shared shopping cart […] October 31, 2024
Aviation Kuwait Airways 2023 revenue soars 16% to $1bn Increased passenger volume and flight operations increased revenues at Kuwait Airways by 16 percent in 2023. The topline reached KD335 million ($1.1 billion) last year, as the number of flights soared 26 percent year on year to 32,839, the state-run Kuwait News Agency reported, citing chairman Abdulmohsen Alfagaan. No details were shared on profit or […] October 11, 2024
Aviation Airlines suspend flights to Middle East Airlines in the Middle East have cancelled some flights and rerouted others after Iran fired more than 180 ballistic missiles at Israel. Shares in some European airlines and travel companies fell on Wednesday by up to 2.7 percent after Israel’s neighbours closed airspace and airline crews skirted the conflict zone. Many airlines have suspended operations […] October 2, 2024
Aviation Kuwait aircraft lessor Alafco slashes losses Kuwait’s state-funded aircraft leasing firm, Alafco, has cut its annual net losses by 98 percent, the company said at its latest earnings presentation. Alafco, whose shareholders include the Kuwaiti government, said operating lease revenue dropped by 63 percent to KD35.9 million ($116.74 million) for the financial year ending on September 30. However, this was made […] January 4, 2024
Dubai Airshow Aviation Emirates chief bemoans Boeing and Airbus duopoly Emirates chairman and chief executive Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum has bemoaned the duopoly that exists between Boeing and Airbus Group when it comes to the production of wide-body aircraft. The Dubai flag carrier has experienced lengthy delivery delays stretching back five years for its Boeing 777X aircraft, while concerns were also raised this […] November 15, 2023
Aviation Kuwait’s Jazeera Airways’ profits slump 36.1% Kuwaiti low-cost carrier Jazeera Airways has reported a 36.1 percent drop in profits for the first nine months of the year with a warning that over-capacity issues could further impact margins. The airline, which sits second in the country behind Kuwait Airways, saw revenues increase 12.8 percent year-on-year over the period and passenger numbers were […] November 8, 2023
Opinion Aviation Gulf Air is battling for Bahrain’s skies Can another strategic turn really be successful? October 24, 2023
Transport Kuwait airport passenger numbers flying higher Passenger traffic through Kuwait International Airport is forecast to grow by 7 percent this year, fuelled by increased activity across the summer months. Total passenger numbers to and from the airport is expected to reach 15.5 million, according to the Gulf state’s Directorate General of Aviation, up from 14.46 million passengers reported in 2022. Abdullah […] August 28, 2023
Transport Kuwait Airways cuts losses by 50% as revenue soars Kuwait Airways has trimmed its losses in half from KD107 million ($347 million) in 2021 to KD55 million ($178.4 million) in 2022. “Kuwait Airways has achieved positive results, which were better than expected in 2022,” state-run Kuna news agency reported, citing chairman Ali Aldukhan. Total passenger revenues reached KD289.1 million, up 11 percent year-on-year. Passenger […] August 21, 2023
Video length: 03:07 Analysis Aviation How the battle for the Gulf’s skies has intensified Across and around the Arabian Gulf regional airlines find themselves returning to a very different and increasingly volatile market after the pandemic. Pre-Covid, aviation in the Gulf and many neighbouring nations was largely defined and dominated by Emirates, Qatar Airways and Etihad. Now, as the Big Three pursue resurgence, they are being increasingly challenged, not […] May 8, 2023
