Kuwait International Airport

A weekly round-up of the latest news from the aviation industry as airlines and airports seek to recover from the COVID-19 crisis.

Gulf carrier Emirates looks set to permanently suspend four long-haul routes, including halting service to one of its 12 destinations in the US.

Routes analyzes some of the services returning as well as new routes being launched. This week we look at Air Senegal’s European expansion; British Airways starting Cornwall Airport Newquay flights; and Jazeera Airways adding a fourth destination in Turkey.

Jazeera’s London Gatwick service will remain grounded initially.

Gulf carrier aims to “gradually” resume services with the goal of operating 45% of its pre-COVID capacity by August.

Routes’ latest Middle East and Africa market round-up, featuring new route launches, capacity changes and news from across the region.

Kuwait Airways and Jazeera Airways, both based at KWI, will be affected most.

The Kuwait-based LCC looks to grow its network.

Airport Strategy & Marketing (ASM) provides expert insight into three recent stand-out new routes

Wataniya Airways was a legacy of a liberalisation of Kuwait’s air service market during the 2000s and launched operations from Kuwait International Airport in January 2009, operating a fleet of seven leased Airbus A320s to destinations across the Persian Gulf, the wider Middle East and Europe. However, overcapacity in the local market from new entrants led the carrier to scale back operations in late 2010 ahead of its closure in March 2011.

The arrival of the first A330-200 marks the latest stage of a fleet-renewal programme which will eventually include the arrival of new A350s and Boeing 777-300ERs. In February 2014, Kuwait Airways announced the lease of 12 Airbus aircraft including seven A320ceo (with first deliveries commencing late last year) and five A330-200s in addition to the purchase of 25 aircraft including 10 A350-900 and 15 A320neo Family aircraft.

In a major expansion of its network Nile Air is adding three new routes during the first week of June, including a new country market, neighbouring Sudan. The new link between Cairo and Port Sudan will launch on June 6, 2015 and will be operated on a twice weekly basis, Nile Air’s first international service in Africa. It will bring competition and enhanced connectivity to a route currently served on a weekly basis by Sudan Airways.

The new venture will complement the existing operations into Jordan with the introduction of regular scheduled flights to Kuwait from May 18, 2015 with services to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia following from May 19, 2015; Erbil, Iraq from May 20, 2015 and Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt from May 21, 2015 and more destinations are due to be added later in 2015.

The total traffic for the four days is an increase of 36 per cent over the same period at the end of Eid Al Fitr in 2013, when 133,007 passengers took an Etihad Airways flight.

The two destinations join Dubai in the network of Cebu Pacific Air's long-haul division which flies Airbus A330-300s configured in an all-Economy, 436 seat arrangement.

Emirates initially introduced flights between Dubai International Airport and Kuwait International Airport on July 16, 1989 but now serves the route five times daily with a combination of Boeing and Airbus aircraft.