Kuwait carrier flags resilience

Jazeera Airways said it carried 73,655 passengers since March 11 even as Kuwait International Airport has remained closed for 43 days. (zawya.com) The Kuwaiti low-cost carrier gave the update on April 12 at its second online media briefing and said it was ready to restart flights from its dedicated Terminal 5 as soon as authorities approve a reopening. (timeskuwait.com) Instead of flying from Kuwait, Jazeera shifted parts of its operation into Saudi Arabia after the airport shutdown and built a temporary ground hub at Kuwait International Fairgrounds, Hall 8. The airline said more than 180 buses have been moving passengers on road trips of up to four hours to Saudi airports. (timeskuwait.com) That workaround has included Qaisumah in Saudi Arabia, where Jazeera launched replacement services after Kuwait flights were suspended in late February. The airline said passengers traveling through that route needed valid Saudi visas for the overland transfer. (timeskuwait.com) As the closure stretched on, Jazeera added a second Saudi base and resumed service to six Indian cities through Saudi airports, according to AGBI. Chief Executive Officer Barathan Pasupathi said the airline was trying to preserve Kuwait’s links to major labor and family travel markets. (agbi.com) The airline’s message also lands after a strong 2025. Jazeera’s annual report said it marked 20 years of operations in 2025 and recorded revenue of 208.6 million Kuwaiti dinars in 2024, with net profit up 66.2 percent to 10.2 million dinars. (investorrelations.jazeeraairways.com; investorrelations.jazeeraairways.com) Jazeera has long centered its Kuwait operation on Terminal 5, a dedicated facility with 22 check-in counters and its own security screening. That setup helps explain why the airline keeps stressing it can resume quickly once official clearance arrives. (jazeeraairways.com) For now, the carrier is presenting passenger volume as proof that demand held up despite the shutdown. The closing line of its update was simple: Kuwait’s airport is still shut, but Jazeera says its network is still moving. (ttnonline.com)