An Iranian drone strike on Wednesday, June 3 forced Kuwait International Airport to close just days after its reopening. Air travel in the Middle East is already a challenging endeavor, with continuing conflict making it impossible for travelers to make reliable plans in the area.
Just a few months ago in March, American travelers in the Middle East found themselves stranded as thousands of flights were abruptly canceled following the U.S.-Israel attack on Iran. With little help to be found from the American government, travelers found themselves relying on assistance from locals instead.
This most recent incident demonstrates that the challenges of Middle Eastern travel are far from over.
Severe Damage To Kuwait International Airport’s Terminal 1
A drone strike on Wednesday severely damaged Terminal 1 at Kuwait International Airport, forcing an immediate closure. One person was killed in the incident and more than 60 others were injured. The airport drone strike came in the wake of military assaults between Iran and the United States late Tuesday.
This is not the first attack on Terminal 1. Earlier this year, a drone strike on the same terminal injured several airport workers. Subsequent drone attacks targeted Terminal 2 and fuel storage tanks as well. The airport was closed for weeks of repairs and rehabilitation work.
Kuwait’s airspace was completely closed from February 28 through late April. On April 26, commercial carriers like Jazeera Airways and Kuwait Airways resumed operations in Kuwait. Air travel went through a gradual phased reopening over subsequent weeks. Terminal 1 reopened to international carriers just two days ago.
Major Disruptions To Middle Eastern Travel
The drone strike caused serious runway disruption, impacting several arriving and departing flights. International routes previously scheduled to land at Kuwait’s airport were diverted to other airports including Saudi Arabia’s King Fahd International Airport (DMM) in Dammam. DMM handled services from many of Kuwait’s carriers during previous disruptions, despite being a four- to five-hour drive from Kuwait.
Air travel was temporarily suspended after the drone strike, but resumed just hours later. Kuwait International Airport resumed partial operations out of Terminal 4. Kuwait Airways Chairman Abdulmohsen Al-Faqaan said that all affected flights will be rescheduled and exempt from fees.
FlightAware reported several delays and cancellations at Kuwait International Airport.
|
Kuwait Flights |
Canceled |
Delayed |
|
Origin Airport |
7% |
22% |
|
Destination Airport |
8% |
16% |
These low numbers are driven largely by the Kuwait Airways Corporation and Jazeera Airways, which canceled a small percentage of their flights. Emirates, Air Arabia, IndiGo, Royal Jordanian, and Gulf Air canceled all of their routes at Kuwait International Airport for June 3, and FlyDubai canceled 66% of flights at Kuwait.
IndiGo went so far as to officially suspend travel to and from Kuwait until 12:00 on June 4 as a precautionary measure. The airline intends to monitor the situation closely and make additional adjustments as needed.
“We remain in close coordination with the relevant aviation authorities and are continuously monitoring the situation. Flight services will resume as soon as conditions permit and safe operating corridors become available,” IndiGo said on X.
Travelers who plan to maintain their plans to visit Kuwait should monitor travel statuses carefully for further developments with IndiGo and other airlines.
Warnings Issued For Travelers To The Middle East
The individual killed in the June 3 drone strike was an Indian national. The Ministry of External Affairs for the Government of India issued a statement condemning the assault on the airport.
“Since the onset of the conflict in West Asia, we have strongly urged that civilian population and civilian infrastructure must not be targeted. We again call upon parties to cease such attacks,” the statement said.
Several governments have issued travel advisories for Kuwait. The United States travel advisory for Kuwait dates back to March, placing Kuwait at a Level 3. The U.S. urges Americans to reconsider travel to Kuwait due to the threat of landmines, armed conflict, and crime. Canada has issued a stronger warning, telling citizens to avoid all travel to Kuwait due to ongoing military activities.
On March 5, the U.S. Embassy Kuwait City suspended operations. The embassy is no longer open for normal consular services and will not issue U.S. passports or visas to the United States.
Though flights are already resuming to Kuwait International Airport, travelers should remain cautious. This recent drone strike is evidence of an uncertain ceasefire. Though negotiations reportedly continue, there is no resolution to the conflict as yet, and Kuwait remains a potentially dangerous destination.
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