Kuwait Airways is expecting the delivery of its first of seven A330-900neos by the third quarter (Q3) of 2024, considering there are no further delays from the manufacturer.
Speaking to the aviation vlogger Sam Chui, Maen Razouqi, chief executive, Kuwait Airways, said: “The promise from our partner Airbus is that there should be no delays on that type. We will keep our four A330-800Ns and will not replace them with the larger-variant A330-900, even though the -900 will offer a better economic footprint. The -900 will give us the capacity we need.”
Several of the incoming A330s will be configured in a high-density configuration to use for destinations like Manila Ninoy Aquino International, with more economy-class seats, he added.
“The four new A330-800s that Kuwait Airways now operates will be an enabler for us to get nonstop from Kuwait to North America,” Razouqi said. “They will take us to New York JFK on better margins.”
Currently Kuwait Airways flies to only one North American destination, JFK with daily flights deployed on its B777.
The CEO further revealed that the airline’s future fleet will be based on a 60:40 narrowbody to widebody ratio. The first A321neo should arrive by the end of 2024 and could be deployed to Manchester International or Bangkok Suvarnabhumi, he concluded.