As Gulf airports break records, Kuwait faces turbulence and missed opportunities
Only Gulf hub to record passenger traffic decline; from leader to laggard; trails gulf peers in 2025 passenger growth; Vision 2035 under threat
In yet another disappointing performance, the Kuwait International Airport ranked last among Gulf airports in passenger traffic growth during the first half of 2025.
While other Gulf airports posted growth rates ranging between 1.5% and 13%, Kuwait stood alone in recording a decline of 3%, with only 7.4 million passengers compared to 7.63 million in the same period last year, reports Al-Rai daily.
This stark contrast highlights the success of comprehensive Gulf strategies aimed at boosting air travel, while Kuwait’s airport continues to underperform despite once being among the region’s aviation leaders.
According to informed sources, multiple factors have contributed to this decline:
- European airlines continue to withdraw from the Kuwait market due to financial inefficiency. British Airways suspended operations in March, following earlier exits by Lufthansa and KLM. In contrast, Bahrain quickly reversed a similar suspension by British Airways, thanks to prompt government intervention — something Kuwait failed to do.
- National carriers were restricted from expanding their operations during the past year and into the first half of 2025.
- Sluggish decision-making has delayed initiatives aimed at boosting travel, and several key airport contracts have expired without clear plans for renewal or replacement.
- Infrastructure challenges persist, with airlines reporting aircraft damage from flying gravel on runways, limited terminal capacity, and jet fuel prices that remain high compared to regional averages.
The sources stressed that Kuwait Vision 2035, which seeks to transform the country into a regional investment hub, places the airport at the center of this ambition. Yet, the airport’s poor performance remains out of sync with the nation’s broader development plans.
The sources called on the government to adopt a more collaborative and transparent approach, involving not just the Public Authority of Civil Aviation but also other credible government and non-government entities.
This, they said, is essential to diagnosing the true causes of decline, putting in place practical solutions, and establishing a realistic executive roadmap with defined timelines.
Passenger traffic figures from across the Gulf tell a different story:
- Dubai Airport: 46 million passengers (+2.3%) – a historic high
- Hamad International (Qatar): 25.9 million (+1.5%)
- King Abdulaziz (Riyadh): 25.5 million (+6.8%)
- Abu Dhabi Airport: 15.8 million (+13%) – highest growth in the Gulf
- Kuwait Airport: 7.4 million (–3%) – only decline recorded
- Bahrain Airport: 4.6 million (+1.5%)
- Muscat Airport: 1.1 million (+2%)
