‘Over 6 million to use Kuwait airport in summer season’ – Holiday travel doubles after pandemic

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KUWAIT CITY, June 13: In line with the policy of opening up the airspace and easing travel restrictions in Kuwait and the world, the Kuwait International Airport is witnessing a huge momentum these days and a significant increase in the number of departures and arrivals, reports Al-Qabas daily. Congestion in the airport is a phenomenon that was seen in most international airports after the COVID-19 pandemic, as several major restrictions on travel had been during the past two years. Now everyone seems to be in a race to travel overseas to spend the summer vacation.

The daily toured Kuwait International Airport on Sunday and observed several exceptional preparations to keep pace with the open-skies policy and to provide the required services for travelers through the airport, according to a plan based on several axes. These axes include increasing the number of passenger reception counters, speeding up the arrival and departure procedures, enhancing security, safety and coordination requirements, and ensuring continuous coordination between the agencies operating at the airport. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) estimated that the number of passengers to and from Kuwait International Airport would exceed the limit of six million in the current summer season.

In this regard, an official source highlighted the possibility of a double turnout for travel, after the closures that the countries worldwide witnessed during the past two years along with the harsh restrictions and the intensive health requirements. He explained that the current summer season will witness a significant increase in the number of flights to reach 400 flights per day. The agencies operating at the airport have developed a well-studied plan to keep pace with the increase in the number of passengers. Coordination meetings were completed to deal with the movement of passengers in a way that facilitates the procedures for departure and return to the country.

Many travel destinations are witnessing a double turnout, especially Turkey, London, Cairo, Dubai, Jeddah and Riyadh. The opening of new travel destinations depends on the demand of airlines that measure the desires of travelers, and as a result, new travel destinations are opened.

According to the statistics of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), travel sales have increased by 70 percent during the period from January 2022 to April 2022, compared to the same period last year. The number of flight tickets issued during the first four months of this year amounted to about 1.105 million, compared to 347,000 tickets during the same period in 2021.

The number of flight tickets in January was 222,000, in February 219,000, in March 308,000 and in April 285,000. The increase in tickets in Kuwait accounted for 7.5 percent of the total tickets issued in Middle East and North African countries. IATA identified the total number of airlines operating at Kuwait International Airport, which amounted to 74 airlines. The number of approved travel and tourism offices reached 479 in the country. Regarding ticket sales, the statistics revealed that the air transport market witnessed a great economic recovery.

Profits from ticket sales from January to April amounted to about KD 117 million, which is an increase of about 82 percent compared to the same period last year, which witnessed profits amounting to KD 21 million. Most tickets were sold in the month of March, which amounted to KD 35 million, followed by April with KD 34 million, then February with KD 29.5 million, and then January with KD 17.5 million.

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