Kuwait International Airport resumes operations after 2-month pause

Kuwait International Airport (KWI) has resumed operations as of 24 April 2026, following a near two-month closure due to airspace disruptions linked to the Iran war.  

 

Operations had been suspended since 28 February 2026, with multiple drone attacks in March damaging the airport’s radar systems, according to the Kuwait News Agency.

 

During the closure, national carriers Kuwait Airways and Jazeera Airways temporarily operated from neighbouring Saudi Arabia, with flights running from King Fahd International Airport in Dammam (DMM) and Al Qaisumah-Hafar Al Batin Airport (AQI).

 

The airspace reopening was confirmed by the Director General of the General Directorate of Civil Aviation, Sheikh Engineer Hamoud Mubarak Hamoud Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, in an official statement issued after technical assessments and a phased safety review.

 

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Both Kuwait Airways and Jazeera Airways began a phased return to Kuwait from 26 April. Jazeera Airways resumed limited non-stop services from Terminal 5, while Kuwait Airways is operating from Terminal 4 and reinstating direct routes to destinations including Delhi, Colombo, Paris and Beirut. However, some services via Saudi continue during the transition period. 

 

The airport has advised travellers to arrive four hours ahead of departure, with temporary access measures in place, including restricting passenger drop-offs to designated car park areas. All flights are currently operating via ground-level gates.

 

Kuwait is the final GCC country to restore airspace operations following the disruption, after Bahrain resumed flights earlier in April. 

 

For more information, visit kuwaitairport.gov.kw