BY REAVEN D’SOUZA
MANAGING EDITOR
Kuwait Airways is on a growth trajectory with ambitious plans of increasing its passenger traffic from just one million in 2021 to 4.2 million passengers this year, revealed Maen Razouki Chief Executive Officer of the airline.
Speaking to The Times Kuwait, the CEO said that selectively investing in the right routes and the right planes for the right customers were definitely part of their growth journey.
Currently the airline was flying to 40 destinations and has announced 17 new destinations while targeting to reach 100 destinations within the next two years.
Speaking at the Arab Aviation Summit, Kuwait Airways CEO along with several industry experts were optimistic that the sector was normalising. Titled Roadmap to Recovery the summit which was held in Ras Al Khaimah, discussed the role of aviation and tourism and the industry recovery post the pandemic.
Hailed as the ‘voice of the industry’, the Summit marked the partnership of the three key players in the travel and tourism industry: Public sector, Private sector, and Media. Organised annually, the event highlighted the trends, insights and opportunities driving the continuous growth and development of the Arab aviation and tourism industry.
On the sidelines of the summit Razouki told The Times Kuwait that the way forward for the airline was looking at opportunities of collaboration and opening doors to partnerships like code sharing etc. He was optimistic on growth of the airline pointing out that during the pandemic they understood the need for partnerships and sustainability. On the impact of the pandemic on the aviation industry he said that any airline that felt it could conquer the world after coming out of the pandemic would have a very big struggle.
If the rise in fuel prices and possibility of airfare hikes might impact travel, Razouki said the cost of jet fuel was 15 per cent of their total cost and any fluctuation would have an impact but they had a full revenue management team and they would continue to remain competitive in the market.
He indicated that Kuwait was going through transformation within the government sector, and their relationship with DGCA and ministry of interior was to ensure that more passengers could pass through Kuwait either transit or tourism. The challenge, he pointed out came from capacity and capabilities and this would change when the brand new airport was opened in 2025 and Kuwait Airways would be ready to undertake this challenge.
Razouki pointed out that they are working with the regulator (DGCA) and the government in ensuring the growth of the airline and overcoming hurdles. He pointed out that the airline was also on a talent and acquisition hunt with more than 400 vacancies opening up to keep pace with the growth of the airline.
Last month Kuwait Airways announced the increase in the number of planes it planned to purchase from Airbus to 31 from 28 with a estimating the value of the deal at $3 billion. The order was for nine Airbus A320neo, six A321neo, three A321neo LR, four A330-800neo, seven A330-900neo and two A350-900. Last year the CEO Maen Razoqi said that the airline was seeking aircraft capable of operating longer, non-stop flights so it could expand in Europe, Africa, Southeast Asia and North America.