KUWAIT: Flydubai, Dubai-based low-cost carrier, yesterday celebrated moving its eight daily flight operations from the main terminal at Kuwait International Airport to the Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah General Aviation Terminal - a move that is purported to lead to growth of passenger traffic between the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait and to make the airline's product "more attractive". Talking to the press after the first flight landing at Sheikh Saad terminal yesterday, Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al-Maktoum, President of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority and Chairman of Flydubai, said "Kuwait's market is one of the most important markets for us and for Flydubai.
We are very privileged to be able to operate from this airport." He further stressed, "We are grateful to the Kuwaiti authorities for their support of the move to Sheikh Saad Al-Abdallah General Aviation Terminal. The aviation links between Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates have played a significant role in boosting the already strong relationship between our two nations. Flydubai will continue to play an important role in creating free flow of trade and tourism." Asked about a possible fleet expansion, Sheikh Al-Maktoum noted that there will be an announcement about Flydubai's fleet expansion at the Dubai Airshow (to be held in November). In the words of Ghaith Al-Ghaith, Flydubai's Chief Executive Officer, the airline is currently in the process of negotiating a deal to purchase aircraft as part of Flydubai's next phase of expansion. He observed that there will be an announcement between now and the Aviation Airshow in Dubai in November. "There is no fixed deal yet," Al-Ghaith told the Kuwait Times yesterday. Flying to and from the new terminal presents a good opportunity for traffic growth between Kuwait and the UAE. "This is a good opportunity to offer something special to people. Special things require more business," Al- Ghaith told the Kuwait Times after a press conference that was held in Sheikh Saad Terminal yesterday. "We are delighted and honored that we have the opportunity to operate from this terminal," he said. "This will encourage us to add more capacity in the future." In response to a question about the terms of the deal to shift Flydubai's operations to Sheikh Saad Terminal, Al-Ghaith said, "We will operate in this terminal as long as we can and as long as we are allowed to. It is based on the availability of the terminal." Addressing a press conference held at the terminal yesterday, Fawaz Abdulaziz Al-Farah, President of Kuwait Civil Aviation, said, "We welcome Flydubai and are pleased to open the doors of Sheikh Saad Al-Abdallah General Aviation Terminal to passengers who will benefit from all the convenient facilities this terminal has to offer."
Crowded skies Asked if Flydubai has a contingency plan in case of a military strike on Syria, Al-Ghaith said, "Safety is the number one priority for our airline. We will only operate where it is 100 percent safe. We almost completely avoid Syria's air space." Asked if Gulf carriers are becoming casualty of their own growth in the crowded Gulf skies, Al-Ghaith pointed out: "Aviation will always grow. If you compare the number of flights between cities in the region versus the number of flights between cities in Europe, we lag behind. We are not even there. We are a long way from reaching a level where it is enough. There is never enough." There is no cannibalization of legacy carriers' routes. "There is demand and people's expectations. As long as you adhere to the demand and produce the right product at the right time, you will be successful," Al-Ghaith observed.
Operating out of Dubai is a boon to Flydubai's growth. "Our focus is to operate to and from Dubai. We have a long way to go to reach our potential and growth. The reason why we do not do this is because we still have big shoes to fill," Al-Ghaith said, adding that at the start of the airline, Flydubai ordered 50 aircraft. "Hamdullilah we have been blessed that we are capable of operating out of the United Arab Emirates, especially Dubai. That environment has enabled us to grow that fast." Optimism about the aviation industry in UAE and the Gulf is fuelled by a two-pillar approach: "First, there is a gap. There is not enough. Secondly, our economy is growing," Al-Ghaith said, attributing the growing traffic numbers to the diverse resident population which regularly travels.
Sheikh Al-Maktoum led a delegation which included Jamal Al-Hai, ESVP for International Relations and Communications at Dubai Airports; Tariq Al-Hamed, Kuwaiti Consul General to Dubai; Mohammed Abdulla Ahli, Director General of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority together with Al-Ghaith; Hamad Obaidalla, Chief Commercial Officer and Kenneth Gile, Chief Operating Officer. Flydubai's newly introduced Business Class premium offering will be available on select flights on the Kuwait route starting in October. Together with the move to the dedicated terminal, this will provide a greater choice for passengers, who will have access to faster check-in services, shortened queuing time at the immigration desks and a more personalized flying experience. Flydubai launched its operations to Kuwait in March 2010 with a double daily service. Three years later, the carrier transported more than one million passengers between Dubai and Kuwait and increased its frequency to eight flights a day. The total number of flights to Kuwait increased by 62 percent after one year of operations, illustrating the strong demand for travel between Kuwait and the UAE. Some of the figures highlighting the remarkable growth of the Kuwait-Dubai route include: The overall market size has increased by 35 percent between 2009 and 2012, indicating Flydubai's role in stimulating demand by encouraging travel. Flydubai's passenger numbers for Kuwait grew by 31 percent in 2012. Some 84 percent of Flydubai passengers travelling from Kuwait end their journey in Dubai while the remainder connects onwards to add number of destinations on Flydubai's network, including Sri Lanka, the Maldives, India, and Georgia.
© Kuwait Times 2013
