Jazeera Airways endorses regional footprint with new route to Egypt

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Kuwait-listed Jazeera Airways will commence operating direct flights to the Sphinx International Airport in Egypt on 16 May 2023.

With the new route, the airline currently flies direct flights to seven cities in Egypt. This brings the total destinations Jazeera Airways offers across the Middle East, Africa, Central and South Asia, and Europe to 64, according to a press release.

CEO of Jazeera Airways, Rohit Ramachandran, said: “Jazeera Airways being the first GCC carrier to operate direct to Sphinx International Airport.”

The Kuwaiti carrier will operate four weekly flights from Kuwait to Sphinx International Airport, which is only an hour away from downtown and two hours away from Cairo International Airport. It also connects to the Red Sea resorts like Sharm El-Sheikh and Hurghada.

Ramachandran added: “We also offer a convenient and affordable travel option for Kuwaiti students studying in the country as well as the Egyptian expat community visiting families back home.”

The CEO added: “I would like to especially take this opportunity to thank the Egyptian Civil Aviation authorities for their tireless efforts to open up greater connectivity to this beautiful country.”

The two terminals at Sphinx International Airport, which serves the city of Giza, handle up to 900 passengers an hour with an annual capacity of 1.20 million passengers.

During the first quarter (Q1) of 2023, Jazeera Airways recorded a net profit of KWD 2.30 million, compared to KWD 3.80 million in Q1-22, when the strong demand post-pandemic was reflected in higher fares.

The Kuwaiti company generated total revenue of KWD 48.30 million in January-March 2023, an annual increase of 35.20%, while operating profit reached KWD 3.62 million.

Chairman of Jazeera Airways, Marwan Boodai, commented on Q1-23 results, saying: “2023 has started off on a positive note for Jazeera Airways. Despite fuel prices putting pressure on margins for the first quarter, a continued focus on operating costs enabled us to deliver profits in line with our aggressive growth targets and on the track to be a fantastic year.”

Boodai added: “Load factor in this quarter reached 82.10%, the highest ever for Jazeera in any quarter, especially for Q1 which is typically not the strongest. This demonstrates the strength of our business model and sound validation from our customers.”

Earlier in 2023, Jazeera Airways unveiled plans for the establishment of a low-cost airline in Saudi Arabia to be based at the King Fahad International Airport in Dammam.