LONDON—Jazeera Airways expects that underserved traffic flows between London and the Indian subcontinent can support its return to the UK, as the Kuwaiti LCC prepares to launch flights to London Luton Airport.
Jazeera will begin the route from Kuwait International Airport to London Luton on July 8, becoming the first Gulf airline to operate services to the UK airport. Jazeera last served the London market until August 2020 when it stopped offering flights to London Gatwick Airport, according to data provided by OAG Schedules Analyser.
“This is a very momentous occasion for Jazeera,” said Paul Carroll, chief commercial officer at Jazeera Airways. “It’s our entry into the London market. It’s our flagship service.”
Carroll said the decision to operate from Luton rather than one of London’s larger airports followed months of discussions and research into the airport’s development and passenger connectivity.
“It’s a journey we’ve been on probably for the last 12 months,” Carroll said. “Myself and our CEO, Barathan Pasupathi, made a visit to Luton Airport last September, and we were blown away in terms of how much development has occurred over the last five years.”
He added that improved rail connections to central London and upgraded passenger facilities were key reasons behind the move.
“We think there’s a huge opportunity to connect our significant network in the Indian subcontinent, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal,” Carroll said. “We feel there’s an underserved segment, and hence the reason why we’ve chosen London Luton Airport.”
The carrier currently serves eight destinations in India as well as routes across Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal and the Gulf Cooperation Council states (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE). The airline also operates an extensive religious travel network to Saudi Arabia, including Jeddah and Medina.
“We’re very bullish that the network will support significant traffic flows that are not currently captured by the London catchment,” Carroll said.
The airline currently operates a fleet of 23 Airbus A320s, a mix of Ceos and Neos, and an orderbook of an additional 26 aircraft, the first of which will be delivered at the end of 2026.
During the trade briefing, Pasupathi was traveling to the Airbus headquarters in Toulouse for discussions.
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