Flight International online news 11:00GMT: Kuwaiti private carrier Jazeera Airways has started operations with an initial service to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.
Jazeera Airways received its first Airbus A320 earlier this month and, alongside Dubai, is opening services to Beirut and Bahrain.
Chief executive Marwan Boodai says that, until now, there has been little air transport competition to Kuwait Airways on routes from the small Gulf state.
“After 50 years of monopoly the launch of Jazeera Airways opens a new chapter in air travel in the region,” he says.
According to Boodai, some of the airline’s flights are already booked at 80% capacity.
The carrier is aiming to operate on a low-fare basis and intends to expand its network to include Amman, Damascus, Luxor, Alexandria and cities on the Indian subcontinent.
DAVID KAMINSKI-MORROW/LONDON
Source: Flight International
