HAMBURG: Adelegation from Kuwait Airways arrived in the German city of Hamburg yesterdayto receive the airliner's first Airbus A320neo on August 29, part of a28-aircraft contract with the European manufacturer. The delegation, headed byKuwait Airways board chairman Yusuf Al-Jassem, will visit Airbus plant to getacquainted with latest aircraft technologies, as well as holding meetings withAirbus executives. The delegation will officially receive the Airbus A320neo onThursday and then fly back to Kuwait on Friday.
The NationalCarrier Kuwait Airways has been linked to air transport cooperationrelationship with European multinational aerospace corporation Airbus since1983, when it added its first Airbus A310 aircraft to its fleet. Theircooperation has seen significant progress and development over the years notonly in aircraft purchase, but also in maintenance procedures and trainingcourses provided to Kuwait Airways' staff. Airbus is considered to be one ofKuwait Airways fleet's main suppliers of various types of aircrafts as it holdsan elite status among best plane suppliers in the world.
The Kuwaitinational carrier enjoys an eminent place among international air transport companiesas its persistent cooperation with the European aerospace corporation provesthe success of their relationship. The two companies began their cooperation inSeptember 1983, when the Kuwaiti national carrier needed to update its fleet inorder to expand its route network amid increasing demand for air traveling atthat time. It has replaced a number of its old planes with a new generation oftwo-engine aircrafts, known for their lower noise and fuel consumption.
Such asignificant step led the Kuwaiti national carrier, also known for its 'BlueBird' tag, to be at the forefront of regional and international air transportcompanies, and enabled it to expand its route network even further. A total ofsix Airbus A310-200s were ordered to replace the Boeing 707s on routes to Asia,Europe, and the Middle East, with deliveries starting in 1983. Five more A310aircraft were added to the order late that year and early 1984.During the Iraqiinvasion of the country in 1990, Kuwait Airways suffered devastating damagesand massive looting of its aircrafts, replacement parts, plane engines,equipment, modern air devices, and galley.
FollowingKuwait's liberation in 1991, the government rebuilt the national carriercompany and made a key plan to expand its operations and fleets around theworld, purchasing 18 new aircrafts as a result, 15 of which Airbus type, in1992 to boost its operating profits and increase incomes. At that time, KuwaitAirways was the first Arab air transport company to buy the full collection ofmodern Airbus planes with state of the art technology for a total of $984million, receiving them all in November 1992.
In December 2013,Kuwait Airways signed a contract with Airbus to purchase 25 types of A350 andA320neo, and to rent 12 planes of A330 and A320 pending delivery of the newaircraft. The two sides amended the contract to include 28 aircraft whichKuwait Airways would be receiving up until 2026, by which Kuwait Airways wouldhave a total of 38 planes - five A350-900, eight A300-800neo, 15 A32neo and 10Boeing 777-300 ER. In October 2018, Kuwait Airways amended a pre-existingcommitment with Airbus for 10 A350-900s by reducing it to five of theseaircraft, and ordered eight Airbus A330-800neos. Currently, Kuwait Airways'fleet has 25 aircrafts, 15 of which are Airbus type. The national carrier'sroute network includes 47 destination around the world.
Established in 1969,Airbus is one of the major aircraft manufacturing and selling corporations inthe world. It launched the world's first twin-engine passenger jet, the A300,in that same year. Based in France, Airbus fully owns subsidiaries in theUnited States, China, Japan, India, and the Middle East region. It alsooperates training centers in various world countries and has over 150 serviceoffices around the world. Kuwait Airways was established in 1953 as a privatecompany under the name of 'Kuwait National Airlines Limited.' The government ofKuwait acquired 100 percent ownership in 1962 and has about 40 destinationsworldwide.