The decision by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to temporarily limit the number of incoming passengers to Kuwait has added to the difficulties faced by expatriates from banned countries looking to return to Kuwait.
The DGCA had on the recommendations of the health authorities decided to stop the arrival of more than 1,000 passengers per day, and to restrict the number of seats on each incoming flight to 35 seats, with exemptions for domestic workers and transit passengers. The DGCA said the temporary ban, which came into effect from 24 January and is slated to extend until 6 February, is in view of the new strain of highly contagious coronavirus detected in many countries around the world. The sudden decision has accentuated the plight of expatriates from 35 countries who are banned from flying directly to Kuwait.
These expats were allowed to return if they completed 14 days of quarantine in approved transit countries. Accordingly, many expats had spent the requisite quarantine period in the UAE, Saudi Arabia or Ethiopia, but now have to prolong their stay at these transit destinations due to the limited number of tickets available on each flight.
