Kuwait Airways will operate around 728 weekly flights to 58 international destinations in June, up from nearly 420 weekly flights across 45 destinations currently, following approvals from relevant authorities amid ongoing regional aviation challenges.
The June network will cover destinations across Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East. European routes include London, Paris, Frankfurt, Madrid, Barcelona, Amsterdam, Milan, Rome, Geneva, Vienna and Zurich, along with seasonal and leisure destinations such as Antalya, Bodrum, Trabzon, Mykonos and Sarajevo.
Asian destinations include Delhi, Bangkok, Manila, Guangzhou, Lahore, Islamabad, Dhaka, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Trivandrum, Kochi, Kathmandu and Colombo. Regional routes will include Beirut, Cairo, Sharm El-Sheikh, Amman, Doha, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh, Jeddah, Medina, Taif and Dammam, while Casablanca and Sphinx are among African and other destinations served.
Al-Shatti said around 500,000 passenger tickets have been cancelled since February 28, with nearly 55 percent of refunds already processed. He said delays were caused by airport closures, high refund volumes, staffing shortages at government agencies and banking verification procedures.
The airline has allowed affected passengers to retain tickets for up to two years and rebook travel to the same or alternative destinations without additional fees or fare differences.
Al-Shatti said fuel prices have risen by more than 120 percent, while insurance costs and geopolitical developments continue to increase operational expenses and place pressure on ticket prices. He added that some fares are influenced by Special Prorate Agreements (SPA), under which revenue is shared between airlines on multi-carrier routes. Airspace restrictions and route closures have also increased flight times, fuel consumption and operating costs, particularly on Gulf routes.
Customer service demand surged to more than four times normal levels during the disruption period due to refund requests and schedule inquiries. Kuwait Airways has increased staffing to reduce waiting times and manage higher call volumes.
Al-Shatti said the airline faced major operational challenges after Kuwait airspace closed on February 28, leaving aircraft and passengers stranded abroad while transit passengers remained in Kuwait.
The carrier activated emergency response plans, rerouted flights and coordinated with authorities to arrange hotel accommodation and onward travel for stranded passengers, including transfers through Dammam Airport.
Between March 2 and 13, Kuwait Airways operated 15 special flights via Dammam to repatriate around 2,180 Kuwaiti citizens stranded overseas. The airline also transported more than 2.4 million kilograms of cargo during the crisis, including medicines, cancer treatments and radioactive medical supplies from France.
In coordination with authorities, Kuwait Airways additionally operated flights for residency violators, medical patients, students and urgent humanitarian cases, while prioritizing food and medical supply chains during the disruption period.
Al-Shatti said the airline continues adjusting schedules based on regulatory approvals and operational conditions, noting that ongoing airspace restrictions, rerouting requirements and airport limitations in some regions continue to affect flight planning. He added that Kuwait Airways is working towards the gradual normalization of operations while adapting to evolving regional and international aviation conditions.
