Kuwait Rides the Second Wave

As Kuwait Airways undergoes a seismic transformation, Matteo Legnani visits the Gulf state to learn more about how the carrier is shaping itself for the next chapter in its development.

The Boeing 777-300ER was the first widebody aircraft to showcase Kuwait Airways’ new livery.
AIRTEAMIMAGES.COM/PAUL BUCHROEDER

For decades, the Gulf has been enormously important within the global commercial aviation scene. Initially this was as a strategic point linking east and west and later as a destination in its own right. More recently, the advent of the so-called MB3 (Middle East Big Three), namely Etihad Airways, Emirates and Qatar Airways, resulted in a wave of investment, transforming intercontinental travel in the process. While these carriers continue to dominate, look a little closer and a second wave of airlines from the region are reaffirming their presence. There are new airport terminals, next generation aircraft, updated liveries and upgraded cabins, the likes of which the region hasn’t seen since the early 2000s.

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