KUWAIT: Kuwait and the United States of America will resume direct air flights as of today, said Chairman of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) Sheikh Salman Sabah Al-Salem Al-Humoud Al-Sabah yesterday. Reoperation of the direct and unstoppable flights between the US and Kuwait caps fruitful cooperation between the DGCA and the US Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Sheikh Salman said in a statement.

Relentless efforts by the two sides over the past three years resulted in resuming the direct and full air navigation, which will boost passengers' movement, elevate operation capacity and services for passengers of Kuwait Airways, he added. He lauded efforts in this regard by the government, namely His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, state apparatuses including the ministries of foreign and internal affairs, the DGCA and the national carrier. He also praised noticeable efforts by the TSA and the American ambassador to Kuwait, in this regard.

Kuwait Airways announced meanwhile that it received approval from the concerned authorities within the US to open up operations of the direct route to New York airport without the need for a transit at Shannon airport in Ireland, which has been used as the transit route over the past three years.

Meanwhile, the US Ambassador to Kuwait Lawrence R Silverman condoled coordination and cooperation between the Kuwaiti and US air navigation authorities. Silverman expressed the appreciation of the existing mutual cooperation at this level, when Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah received him yesterday. Sheikh Salman Al-Sabah attended the meeting.

During the meeting, Ambassador Silverman hailed the level of cooperation and coordination between the DGCA, along with other local sectors, and their counterpart American departments. Such coordination is part of the close and broader cooperation between the two friendly countries in various spheres and at diverse levels, Ambassador Silverman affirmed.

The meeting was attended by Deputy Foreign Minister Khaled Al-Jarallah, the assistant foreign minister for the foreign minister bureau affairs Ambassador Sheikh Dr Ahmad Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah, the assistant foreign minister for the deputy foreign minister bureau affairs ambassador Ayham Al-Omar, the assistant foreign ministers for the two Americas plenipotentiary ambassador Reem Mohammad Al-Khaled and other officials at the department. - KUNA