Kuwait airport sees back-to-school rush

01/09/2025

KUWAIT CITY, Sept 1: As the start of the new school year is fast approaching, Kuwait International Airport is witnessing heavy traffic with the return of thousands of travelers who spent their summer vacation abroad, particularly from Arab and foreign capitals.

Congestion is gradually increasing as students and teachers return in preparation for the school year. The staff of the newspaper recently visited the airport, during which they noticed that the agencies operating at the airport continue to intensify their efforts to ease the movement of departing and arriving passengers. Estimates by the operating agencies revealed that the total number of passengers in August reached about 1.6 million on 10,800 flights to and from the airport.

On Monday, around 170 flights from several Arab and foreign capitals arrived. Egypt topped the list of destinations with 23 flights, followed by India with 21 flights, Dubai with 14 flights and Jeddah with 13 flights. An official source from the airport confirmed that all operational teams and relevant agencies are working continuously to ensure the smooth flow of passenger traffic and speedy completion of entry and departure procedures at passport control counters or the transit and customs halls. He said the summer season extends until the end of October, but the current period is witnessing the peak of the return of families and students in preparation for the start of the school year.

He indicated that the multiple airport terminals significantly contributed to preventing congestion and regulating passenger traffic. He added the action plan focuses on improving the efficiency of operational and support services, equipping the arrival and departure halls, operating additional counters during peak times, and doubling the number of staff at the gates, checkpoints and transit areas. He stated that support field teams have been tasked to address obstacles that passengers might face, in addition to coordinating with the Ministry of Interior and Kuwait General Administration of Customs (KGAC) to streamline the arrival and departure procedures. He added “a special operational plan has been laid down based on the operational density of airlines and the increase in the number of passengers.

On-duty controllers have been instructed to intervene immediately in the event of any emergency or flight delay, and to implement rapid solutions in coordination with the relevant authorities.” He pointed out that there are ongoing meetings between civil aviation officials and employees to guarantee the provision of all facilities to passengers and airlines. He emphasized that the existing cooperation between entities operating at the airport reflects a positive image of the level of coordination, which contributes to strengthening the position of Kuwait International Airport locally and globally. He confirmed that civil aviation teams are ready to deal with various operational conditions through the Operations Department, which distributes employees according to the volume of traffic in the arrival and departure halls, ensuring the continuity of services with high efficiency and smoothness

By Mohammad Al-Enezi
Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff