Kuwait Airways (Arabic: الخطوط الجوية الكويتية, al-Ḫuṭūṭ al-Jawiyyah al-Kuwaītiyyah) is the flag carrier of Kuwait,[3] with its head office on the grounds of Kuwait International Airport, Al Farwaniyah Governorate. It operates scheduled international services throughout the Middle East, to the Indian subcontinent, Europe, Southeast Asia and North America, from its main base at Kuwait International Airport.

Kuwait Airways
الخطوط الجوية الكويتية
al-Khuṭūṭ al-Jawiyyah al-Kuwaītiyyah
IATA ICAO Call sign
KU KAC KUWAITI
Founded1953; 71 years ago (1953)
(as Kuwait National Airways)
Commenced operations16 March 1954; 70 years ago (1954-03-16)
HubsKuwait International Airport
Frequent-flyer programOasis Club
Fleet size34
Destinations52[1]
Parent companyKuwait Airways Corporation (KAC)[2]
HeadquartersAl Farwaniyah Governorate, Kuwait
Key peopleAbdulmohsen Salem Alfagaan (Chairman & CEO)
Websitewww.kuwaitairways.com

History

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Kuwait National Airways Douglas DC-3 in 1955

The carrier traces its history back to 1953,[nb 1] when Kuwait National Airways was formed by a group of Kuwaiti businessmen; initially, the government took a 50% interest.[5]: 211 [6] That year, a five-year management contract was signed with British International Airlines (BIA),[7] a BOAC subsidiary in Kuwait that operated charter flights and provided maintenance services.[6][8] Two Dakotas were bought,[5]: 211  and operations started on 16 March 1954.[4] The carrier transported 8,966 passengers in its first year of operations.[9] In July 1955, the name Kuwait Airways was adopted.[10][nb 2] In May 1958,[4] a new contract for management and operation was signed, directly with BOAC this time.[11] BIA was taken over by Kuwait Airways in April 1959.[4][nb 3]

 
Kuwait Airways De Havilland DH.106 Comet 4C at London Heathrow Airport in 1964
 
A Kuwait Airways Trident at London Heathrow in 1974

On 8 August 1962,[5]: 210  Kuwait Airways became the first foreign customer to order the Trident when two aircraft of the type were acquired, and an option for a third was taken. The deal was valued at £5.5 million, and also included a Comet 4C. At the same time, the carrier also had a £3 million order in place for three BAC One-Elevens, with an option for a fourth.[12]: 221  The airline took delivery of the first Comet of its own in January 1963,[13][14] but Comet operations had started in July the previous year with an aircraft on lease from MEA.[15]: 225  In August 1963, a second Comet was ordered.[16][17] The delivery of this second airframe established an unofficial record in early 1964 when it flew between London and Kuwait, a distance of 2,888 miles (4,648 km), at 461 miles per hour (742 km/h) on average.[18] On 1 June 1963, the government increased its participation in the airline to 100%.[19] In March 1964, the carrier added its first European destination to the route network when flights to London were inaugurated using Comet equipment; from that time, services between London and some points in the Middle East, including Abadan, Bahrain, Beirut, Dhahran, Doha and Kuwait, started being operated in a pool agreement between the carrier and BOAC and MEA.[20][21] A month later, the airline absorbed Trans Arabia Airways.[22]: 855 [23]

 
A Kuwait Airways Boeing 707-320C on the approach to London Heathrow Airport in 1978. Three aircraft of the type were ordered in November 1967.[24]

In April 1965, the route network had expanded to include Abadan, Baghdad, Bahrain, Beirut, Bombay, Cairo, Damascus, Doha, Frankfurt, Geneva, Jerusalem, Karachi, London, Paris and Tehran. At this time, the fleet comprised two Comet 4Cs, three DC-6Bs, two Twin Pioneers and three Viscount 700s; the carrier had two Trident 1Es and three One-Elevens pending delivery.[19] The first Trident was handed over by the aircraft manufacturer in March 1966,[25] and the second followed in May the same year.[26] In the interim, a third aircraft of the type was ordered.[26] On the other hand, the One-Elevens were never delivered: in January 1966 the carrier stated that the simultaneous introduction of both types of aircraft was not possible due to a tightened budget, and postponed their delivery;[27] it was informed late that year that the airline would not take them.[28][nb 4] Three Boeing 707-320Cs were ordered in November 1967.[24] The carrier made its first profit ever in 1968, with a net income of £910,000.[30]

During 1972, Kuwait Airways' fifth consecutive profitable year, the airline had a net profit of £2.9 million. By May 1973, the fleet had reduced to five Boeing 707-320C aircraft.[30] That year, flights to Colombo were launched.[31] In March 1975, Faisal Saud Al-Fulaij, who employed 1,800, was the corporation's chairman.[32] In a deal worth US$14 million, two additional ex-Pan American Boeing 707-320Cs were subsequently purchased that year, with the first one entering the fleet in May.[33] The carrier ordered its first Boeing 737 that year, slated for delivery in February 1976.[34] Kuwait Airways became the Boeing 727s 96th worldwide customer in 1979 when it ordered three of these aircraft for delivery in late 1980 and early 1981.[35]

 
A Kuwait Airways Airbus A310-300 approaches Prague Ruzyne Airport in 2004

By July 1980, chairmanship was held by Ghassan Al-Nissef, the number of employees had grown to 5,400 and the fleet comprised eight Boeing 707-320Cs, one Boeing 737-200, three Boeing 747-200Bs and one JetStar; three Boeing 727-200s were pending delivery.[36] In mid-1980, six Airbus A310-200s were ordered to replace the Boeing 707s on routes to Asia, Europe and the Middle East, with deliveries starting in 1983;[37] five more A310 aircraft were added to the order late that year.[38]

After India's air market was deregulated in 1992, Kuwait Airways and Gulf Air participated in the formation of Jet Airways, each holding a 20% equity stake,[39] with a total investment estimated at US$8 million.[40] Following the enactment of a law that banned the investment of foreign carriers in domestic Indian operators, both airlines had to divest their shareholding in the Indian company.[41] Kuwait Airways' 20% stake in Jet Airways was sold to the chairman Naresh Goyal for US$4 million.[42][43]

 
A Kuwait Airways Airbus A340-300 takes off from Charles de Gaulle Airport in 2014. The carrier received the first aircraft of the type in March 1995.[44]

In July 1996,[45] the carrier modified a previous order that included Boeing 747 aircraft,[46] and placed an order worth US$280 million for two Boeing 777-200s,[45] with purchase rights for another aircraft of the type.[47] The operation made Kuwait Airways the 22nd customer of the type worldwide.[45] The airframer handed over the first Boeing 777-200 in early 1998.[48][49] In December 1998 a code-share agreement was signed with Trans World Airlines to begin in the Spring of 1999.[50]

In October 2007, the new CEO pledged that the airline should be privatised to compete efficiently against other airlines. He says that the airline will encounter difficulty in advancing, especially in fleet renewal, without privatisation.[51]

Flights to Iraq were resumed in November 2013; Kuwait Airways had discontinued services to the country in 1990 following the invasion of Kuwait.[52] After a 17-year hiatus, the carrier resumed flying to Munich in July 2015.[53][54] Also in July 2015, the airline restarted flights to Istanbul-Atatürk; the city had not been served for three years.[54] Bangalore was added to the carrier's network in October 2015.[55]

Airline's relationship with Israeli passengers

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Kuwait Airways was accused of discriminating against holders of Israeli passports, for refusing in 2013 and 2014 to sell tickets from New York to London to people holding Israeli passports.[56][57] In response, Senator Richard Blumenthal, along with five other senators, wrote a letter to Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx in May 2015 urging him to investigate the allegations. In October 2015, at the conclusion of an investigation, the Department of Transportation issued Kuwait Airways an order to "cease and desist from refusing to transport Israeli citizens between the U.S. and any third country where they are allowed to disembark"[58] In the letter, the DOT also accused Kuwait Airways of following the Arab League boycott of Israel.[59] Additionally, New York City Councilmember Rory Lancman asked the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates JFK Airport, to "terminate the airline's lease if it doesn't immediately change its policy."[60] For its part, the airline said that it complies with Kuwaiti Law which prohibits the company from entering "into an agreement, personally or indirectly, with entities or persons residing in Israel, or with Israeli citizenship."[61] The airline also petitioned the Federal Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia to review the dispute.[62]

The matter was settled on 15 December 2015, when Kuwait Airways informed the United States Department of Transportation that it would eliminate service between JFK and London Heathrow, with The Daily Telegraph reporting that tickets for the route were no longer being sold effective the following week. Councilmember Lancman responded by saying "If you're so anti-Semitic that you would rather cancel a flight than provide service to Israeli passport holders, then good riddance."[63][64]

A similar lawsuit was filed in 2017 by the Lawfare Project against the airline for refusing to allow Israelis on a flight from Frankfurt to Bangkok with a layover in Kuwait. Unlike the case of the New York to London route, in this lawsuit, the German court upheld the right of the airline to refuse passengers with Israeli passports to layover in Kuwait.[65][66]

Corporate affairs and identity

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Ownership

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Kuwait Airways is wholly owned by the government of Kuwait, as of August 2023.[67]

Privatisation plans

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Privatisation started being considered in the mid-1990s, in a period that followed the Gulf War when the carrier experienced a heavy loss on its assets.[68] The company was turned into a corporation in 2004.[69] A draft decree for its privatisation was approved by the government on 21 July 2008. Plans were to sell up to 35% of the stake to a long-term investor and another 40% allotted to the public, whereas the government would hold the remaining 25%. These plans also contemplated the exclusion of domestic carrier competitors, such as Jazeera Airways, as potential bidders. Furthermore, the government also committed to keeping the workforce invariant for at least five years and those who were not to be retained would be offered the opportunity to be transferred to other government dependencies without altering their salaries and holding similar working conditions.[68]

In 2011, the privatisation committee valued the carrier at US$805 million, following advice by the Citigroup, Ernst & Young and Seabury.[70] The process was expected to be concluded by March 2011.[71] However, in October that year the committee recommended the airline to go through a reorganisation process before continuing with the privatisation programme,[72] something that was approved by Kuwait's Council of Ministers.[70] The privatisation draft was amended[73][74] and the government signed a contract with the International Air Transport Association for the provision of consultation expertise.[75] The law for the privatisation of Kuwait Airways Corporation was passed in January 2013.[76]

Key people

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As of November 2023, Abdulmohsen Salem Alfagaan holds the position as chairman.[77]

Headquarters

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The Kuwait Airways headquarters is located on the grounds of Kuwait International Airport in Al Farwaniyah Governorate, Kuwait. The 42,000 square metres (450,000 sq ft) head office was built for 15.8 million Kuwaiti dinars (US $ 53.6 million). Ahmadiah Contracting & Trading Co. served as the main contractor. The headquarter was constructed from 1992 to 1996. The construction of the head office was the first time that structural glazing for curtain walls was used in the State of Kuwait.[78] The previous headquarters was on the grounds of the airport.[79]

Subsidiaries and alliances

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Kuwait Airways has several subsidiaries that are going through a similar privatization process as KAC.

Kuwait Airways also went into alliances with several airlines to keep up with demand and to continue its operations during the 1990 War.

Livery

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The airline revamped its livery in October 2016, updating the stylised bird logo.[80][81]

Destinations

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Kuwait Airways is based at Kuwait International Airport; the airline flies 65 routes that serve 63 destinations, as of August 2023.[67]

Codeshare agreements

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Kuwait Airways has codeshare agreements with the following airlines:[82][83]

Interline agreements

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Kuwait Airways has interline agreements with the following airlines:[82]

Fleet

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Kuwait Airways Airbus A320neo
 
Kuwait Airways Airbus A330-800
 
Kuwait Airways Boeing 777-300ER

Current fleet

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As of February 2023, the Kuwait Airways fleet includes the following aircraft:[88][89]

Kuwait Airways fleet
Aircraft In service Orders Passengers Notes
F C W Y Total
Airbus A320-200 8 20 110 130
Airbus A320neo 7 1 12 122 134 [77]
Airbus A321LR 3 TBA 169 [77][90]
Airbus A321neo 6 TBA 169 [77][90]
Airbus A330-800 4 32 203 235 Launch customer.[91]
Airbus A330-900 7 TBA 291 [77][90]
Airbus A350-900 2 TBA 326 [77][90]
Boeing 777-300ER 10 8 36 54 236 334[92]
Total 34 19

Government aircraft

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Kuwait Airways operates aircraft for official State business. The fleet has a Kuwait Airways inspired livery with State of Kuwait titles, and is composed of one Airbus A300-600, one A310-300, one A319, one A320, two A340-500 and one Boeing 747-8BBJ.[citation needed]

Former fleet

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Aircraft [93] Total Introduced Retired Notes
Airbus A300B4 1 1983 1983 Leased from Hapag-Lloyd Flug
1 1991 1992 Leased from EgyptAir
Airbus A300-600R 8 1984 2015
Airbus A310-200 8 1983 1990
Airbus A310-300 8 1991 2015
Airbus A330-200 5 2015 2024 [94]
Airbus A340-300 4 1995 2017
Boeing 707-320 5 1975 1978 Leased from British European Airways
Boeing 707-320C 3 1977 1977 Leased from British European Airways and British Midland Airlines
10 1968 1985
6 1991 1992 Leased from Trans Mediterranean Airways
Boeing 727-200 4 1980 1994
Boeing 737-200 1 1976 1980
Boeing 747-200M 4 1978 2008
Boeing 747-400M 1 1994 2019
Boeing 767-200ER 2 1986 1991 Destroyed by bombing in February 1991
1 1994 1995
Boeing 777-200ER 2 1998 2017
De Havilland Comet 3 1963 1969 One leased from BOAC
Douglas C-47B Skytrain 2 1952 1970
Douglas DC-6B 1 1964 1968
Douglas DC-8-32 1 1974 1976
Douglas DC-8-62F 3 1997 1999 Cargo Aircraft
Hawker Siddeley Trident 4 1965 1972
Lockheed L-1011-200 TriStar 1 1992 1994 Leased from British Airways
McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30 1 1992 1993 Leased from British Airways
Vickers Viscount 10 1958 1967

Fleet development

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In October 2013, Kuwait Airways had one of the oldest aircraft fleets in the Middle East, with an average age of 20 years.[95] That month, the carrier opened its maintenance facilities to the press for them to check that the fleet was kept in condition,[96] amid rumours of deficiencies in their maintenance.[97] In December the same year, the carrier signed a memorandum of understanding with Airbus for the acquisition of 15 A320neos and ten A350-900s.[98][99][100] These aircraft would be handed over between 2019 and 2022.[101] For the interim period, the deal includes the lease of seven A320s and five A330-200s from the aircraft manufacturer;[102] deliveries would start in late 2014.[101] In a deal valued at US$4.4 billion,[103] the order including ten A350-900s and 15 A320neos was confirmed in February 2014.[104][105] Kuwait Airways' intentions to purchase ten Boeing 777-300ERs were informed in November 2014.[106][107] The order was firmed up a month later for US$3.3 billion[108][109][110] with deliveries expected to start in November 2016.[111] Also in December 2014, Kuwait Airways took delivery of its first sharketled Airbus A320 as part of the airline's fleet renewal programme.[112] By March 2015 Kuwait Airways received four leased aircraft of the type, marking the first fleet upgrade in 17 years.[113][114] The carrier became a new customer for the Airbus A330 when it received the first aircraft of the type in June 2015.[115][116]

Following the airline's rebranding initiative in October 2016, Kuwait Airways received its first Boeing 777-300ER in December 2016, marking the arrival of the airline's first fully owned new aircraft in nearly twenty years.[80][81] Introduced in 1995,[44] the Airbus A340-300 was retired from service by the airline in 2017.[117] In October 2018, Kuwait Airways amended a pre-existing commitment with Airbus for 10 A350-900s by reducing it to five of these aircraft and ordered eight Airbus A330-800s, which were scheduled to be delivered from March 2019.[3][118] The first two Airbus A330-800s were handed over to the airline by the aircraft manufacturer in October 2020.[119]

In August 2019, Kuwait Airways Chairman Yousef A. M. J. Alsaqer stated that the airline plans to spend $2.5 billion on new aircraft due to be delivered by 2026.[120]

Awards

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Kuwait Airways was named the World's Most Improved Airline for 2023 by SkyTrax.[121][122]

Services

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Kuwait Airways offers Royal Class and First Class passengers the option to check-in at the comfort of their home in where a limousine and an airline crew member will check-in the passengers, collect the luggage, and issue boarding passes at home. A car service to drive passengers to the airport is also provided upon request. This service is only offered while outbound from Kuwait International Airport.[123] Kuwait Airways is one of the few airlines which does not serve alcoholic drinks on its flights.[124]

Incidents and accidents

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  • On 30 June 1966, Kuwait Airways Flight 032, a Trident 1C flight from Beirut to Kuwait City, suffered a controlled flight into the ground four kilometres short of the runway. There were no fatalities and the Trident was written off.[125]
  • On 3 December 1984, Kuwait Airways Flight 221 from Kuwait City to Karachi, Pakistan, was hijacked by four Lebanese Shi'a hijackers and diverted to Tehran.[126]
  • On 5 April 1988, Kuwait Airways Flight 422 was hijacked from Bangkok to Kuwait with 111 passengers and crew aboard, with three members of the Kuwaiti Royal Family being among the passengers. Six or seven Lebanese men, including Hassan Izz-Al-Din, a veteran of the TWA 847 hijacking armed with guns and hand grenades forced the pilot to land in Mashhad, Iran and demanded the release of 17 Shi'ite Muslim prisoners being held by Kuwait. Lasting 16 days and travelling 3,200 miles (5,100 km) from Mashhad in northeastern Iran to Larnaca, Cyprus, and finally to Algiers, it is the longest skyjacking to date. Two passengers, Abdullah Khalidi, 25, and Khalid Ayoub Bandar, 20, both Kuwaitis, were shot to death by the hijackers and dumped on the tarmac in Cyprus. Kuwait did not release the 17 prisoners, and the hijackers were allowed to leave Algiers.[127]
  • In August 1990, in connection with the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, several Kuwait Airways planes were reported to have been seized and removed by Iraqi troops.[128]
  • On 6 May 2019, Anand Ramachandran, an Indian technician working for Kuwait Airways, was killed while he was towing a Boeing 777-300ER. Nobody was on board.[129]

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Also mentioned to have been formed in March 1954.[4]
  2. ^ Renaming has also been reported to have taken place in March 1957.[4]
  3. ^ Also reported to have been taken over by Kuwait Airways in September the same year.[8]
  4. ^ These aircraft were leased to British Eagle.[29]: 812 

References

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  1. ^ "Kuwait Airways on ch-aviation". ch-aviation. Retrieved 4 December 2023.
  2. ^ "Kuwait Airways Corporation info". Encyclopedia. Retrieved 16 March 2023.
  3. ^ a b Flottau, Jens (15 October 2018). "Kuwait Airways orders eight widebody Airbus A330-800s". Air Transport World. Archived from the original on 29 October 2018.
  4. ^ a b c d e "World airline directory – Kuwait Airways". Flight International. 155 (4670): 84. 31 March – 6 April 1999. Archived from the original on 13 May 2014.
  5. ^ a b c
  6. ^ a b "World Airline Directory – Kuwait Airways, Ltd". Flight. 73 (2569): 539. 18 April 1958. Archived from the original on 26 March 2014.
  7. ^ "B.O.A.C. in the Middle East". Flight. 73 (2561): 255. 21 January 1958. Archived from the original on 13 May 2014.
  8. ^ a b "World airline survey – Kuwait Airways Corporation". Flight International. 103 (3341): 459. 22 March 1973. Archived from the original on 13 May 2014.
  9. ^ "World airline directory – Kuwait National Airways". Flight. 67 (2407): 306. 11 March 1955. Archived from the original on 27 September 2013.
  10. ^ "Civil aviation – Brevities". Flight. 68 (2426): 138. 22 July 1955. Archived from the original on 13 May 2014. Kuwait National Airways announce a change of name, effective from July 1, to Kuwait Airways.
  11. ^ "Brevities". Flight. 73 (2577): 820. 13 June 1958. Archived from the original on 11 August 2013. Under a new five-year agreement, B.O.A.C. will be responsible for management and operation of Kuwait Airways.
  12. ^
  13. ^ "Air Commerce". Flight International. 83 (2812): 153. 31 January 1963. Archived from the original on 13 May 2014. Kuwait Airways' first de Havilland Comet 4C took off from Hatfield [sic] on 18 January for Beirut, which it reached in 4hr 34min, an average speed of 490 m.p.h.
  14. ^ "Air Commerce". Flight International. 83 (2810): 73. 17 January 1963. Archived from the original on 13 May 2014. At Hatfield [sic] on 9 January Sir Aubrey Burke (right), chairman of the de Havilland Aircraft Co, handed over the log book of Kuwait Airways' Comet 4C to the airline's chairman, Mr Nisf Al Yusaf Al Nisf.
  15. ^
  16. ^ "Air commerce". Flight International. 84 (2841): 275. 22 August 1963. Archived from the original on 13 May 2014. On August 12 at the Kuwait Embassy in London Mr Abdussalam Shuaib, chairman of Kuwait Airways, signed a contract with Hawker Siddeley Aviation for a second Comet 4C.
  17. ^ "Air commerce—And Another for Kuwait". Flight International. 84 (2840): 227. 15 August 1963. Archived from the original on 12 August 2013. A second Comet 4C has been ordered by Kuwait Airways, for delivery early in 1964.
  18. ^ "Air commerce". Flight International. 85 (2866): 236. 13 February 1964. Archived from the original on 13 May 2014. Kuwait Airways' second Hawker Siddeley Comet 4C recently established, subject to official confirmation, a point-to-point record between London and Kuwait. The official time for the 2,888 mile delivery flight was 6hr 25sec—an average of 461 m.p.h.
  19. ^ a b "World airline survey – Kuwait Airways Corporation". Flight International. 87 (2927): 587. 15 April 1965. Archived from the original on 13 May 2014.
  20. ^ "Air commerce". Flight International. 85 (2871): 446. 19 March 1964. Kuwait Airways' general manager, Mr Abdel Rahman el Mishri, disembarking from the Comet which inaugurated his company's new London service on March 2.
  21. ^ "Air commerce – BOAC's New Pool Partner". Flight International. 85 (2870): 381. 12 March 1964. Archived from the original on 16 January 2014.
  22. ^
  23. ^ "Air commerce". Flight International. 85 (2878): 747. 7 May 1964. Archived from the original on 24 December 2013. Kuwait Airways have bought Trans Arabian Airways, the Beirut-based Kuwaiti company which operates three DC-6Bs.
  24. ^ a b "Air transport – Kuwait Orders 707s". Flight International. 92 (3066): 980. 14 December 1967. Archived from the original on 24 December 2013.
  25. ^ "World news – Third Trident for Kuwait". Flight International. 89 (2976): 458. 24 March 1966. Archived from the original on 13 May 2014.
  26. ^ a b "Air transport – Another Trident for Kuwait". Flight International. 89 (2987): 951. 9 June 1966. Archived from the original on 11 November 2012.
  27. ^ "Air transport – Kuwait defers One-Eleven delivery". Flight International. 89 (2968): 128. 27 January 1966. Archived from the original on 13 May 2014.
  28. ^ "Sensor". Flight International. 89 (2981): 687. 28 April 1966. Archived from the original on 13 May 2014. The two One-Elevens ordered by Kuwait Airways, delivery of which was deferred last year, are not now likely to be taken by the airline.
  29. ^
  30. ^ a b "Air transport". Flight International. 103 (3347): 668. 3 May 1973. Archived from the original on 1 February 2014. Kuwait Airways made a profit in 1972 for the fifth consecutive year. The carrier, which operates five Boeing 707-320Cs on services radiating from Kuwait as far as London to the west and Bombay to the east, had a net income of KD2.1 million (£2.9 million). Net income in 1968, the first profitable year for the airline, was £910,000.
  31. ^ "Kuwait Airways begins daily direct flights". The Official GovernmentNews Portal of Sri Lanka. 7 April 2015. Archived from the original on 17 April 2015. 
  32. ^ "World airline directory – Kuwait Airways Corporation". Flight International. 108 (3445): 491. 20 March 1975. Archived from the original on 1 February 2014.
  33. ^ "Airliner market". Flight International. 108 (3468): 279. 28 August 1975. Archived from the original on 1 February 2014. The second of two Boeing 707-320Cs sold by Pan American to Kuwait Airways Corporation will be delivered on September 9. The first was delivered in May. Total cost of both aircraft with spares was over $14 million.
  34. ^ "Airliner market". Flight International. 107 (3452): 725. 8 May 1975. Archived from the original on 1 February 2014. Boeing has announced three new orders: Kuwait Airways and Nordair of Montreal have each ordered one 737, Kuwait's first and Nordair's fifth, for delivery in February 1976 and November respectively
  35. ^ "Airliner market". Flight International. 116 (3674): 873. 15 September 1979. Archived from the original on 1 February 2014. Kuwait Airways has ordered three Boeing Advanced 727s for delivery in late 1980 and early 1981. The airline becomes Boeing's 96th 727 customer. Its aircraft will be laid out with 126 tourist seats and 16 first-class, and will feature dual INS and full flight regime autothrottles.
  36. ^ "World airline directory – Kuwait Airways". Flight International. 118 (3716): 324. 26 July 1980. ISSN 0015-3710. Archived from the original on 6 October 2013.
  37. ^ "Airbus scores Middle East success with Kuwait A310 order". Flight International. 118 (3713): 2. 5 July 1980. ISSN 0015-3710. Archived from the original on 1 February 2014.
  38. ^ "Kuwait Airways orders more A310s". Flight International. 118 (3727): 1407. 11 October 1980. Archived from the original on 1 February 2014.
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  45. ^ a b c "Boeing Confirms 777 Order From Kuwait Airways" (Press release). Boeing. 10 July 1996. Archived from the original on 6 November 2011.
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  54. ^ a b Duclos, François (17 July 2015). "Kuwait Airways de retour à Munich, Vienne et Istanbul". Air Journal. Archived from the original on 17 July 2015. 
  55. ^ Young, Kathryn M. (19 October 2015). "Airline Routes-Oct. 19, 2015". Air Transport World. Archived from the original on 27 October 2015. Bangalore has seen Kuwait Airways, Nepal Airlines and Thai AirAsia all adding new routes. Kuwait Airways started a 3X-weekly Airbus A320 service from Kuwait, Nepal Airlines began 3X-weekly A320 service from Kathmandu, and Thai Air Asia is offering a 5X-weekly service from Bangkok DMK. 
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