Dubai: Jazeera Airways may launch long-haul flights if it’s not able to buy a controlling stake in Kuwait Airways, chief financial officer Donald Hubbard told Gulf News on Tuesday.
Jazeera Airways, the Kuwait-based low-cost hybrid airline, expressed interest in May this year in acquiring a 35 per cent controlling stake in Kuwait Airways, the country’s national airline. But the Kuwait government has since back-tracked on its plan to sell off all but 20 per cent of the airline. Instead, it has put forward a proposal to retain 75 per cent.
Jazeera Airways hoped to synergies its processes with Kuwait Airways, including operations at Kuwait International and using the Kuwaiti national carrier’s long-haul network to feed its own regional flights.
According to Hubbard, the low-cost hybrid carrier is looking at starting flights to London, Paris and possibly Singapore, if it can no longer purchase a controlling state in Kuwait Airways.
“If they’re not going to be privatised, then we might jump in,” Hubbard said.
Jazeera Airways, which made a 3.2 million Kuwaiti dinar (Dh38.8 million) profit in the first half of the year. It currently operates a fleet of seven Airbus A320s — narrow-body aircraft used for short-haul regional flights.
Direct flights to London, Paris and Singapore would require long-haul aircraft, which Hubbard said could also be used on flights to south Indian cities, such as Kochi, which are currently unfeasible.
13/10/15 Alexander Cornwell/Gulf News
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Jazeera Airways, the Kuwait-based low-cost hybrid airline, expressed interest in May this year in acquiring a 35 per cent controlling stake in Kuwait Airways, the country’s national airline. But the Kuwait government has since back-tracked on its plan to sell off all but 20 per cent of the airline. Instead, it has put forward a proposal to retain 75 per cent.
Jazeera Airways hoped to synergies its processes with Kuwait Airways, including operations at Kuwait International and using the Kuwaiti national carrier’s long-haul network to feed its own regional flights.
According to Hubbard, the low-cost hybrid carrier is looking at starting flights to London, Paris and possibly Singapore, if it can no longer purchase a controlling state in Kuwait Airways.
“If they’re not going to be privatised, then we might jump in,” Hubbard said.
Jazeera Airways, which made a 3.2 million Kuwaiti dinar (Dh38.8 million) profit in the first half of the year. It currently operates a fleet of seven Airbus A320s — narrow-body aircraft used for short-haul regional flights.
Direct flights to London, Paris and Singapore would require long-haul aircraft, which Hubbard said could also be used on flights to south Indian cities, such as Kochi, which are currently unfeasible.
13/10/15 Alexander Cornwell/Gulf News
