12/06/2018
Director General Eng. Yousef Al-Fouzan: New Improvements at Kuwait International Airport to Facilitate Passengers Traffic
Kuwait Directorate General of Civil Aviation announced Monday its readiness for the current summer season 2018 with a series of improvements at the Main Building (T1) of Kuwait International Airport, in order to raise the level of service rendered to the passengers, and facilitate their traffic. The Director General Eng. Yousef Al-Fouzan told Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) that the management has adopted new methodology this year upon direct instructions and close follow-up from H.E. the President of Civil Aviation Sheikh Salman Sabah Salem Al-Homoud Al-Sabah, which aims at easing pressure on the main passengers building during the current phase. Eng. Al-Fouzan added that the management has temporarily suspended the extra flights of the operating airline companies, and not providing approval to enlarge the size of aircraft except for exceptional and necessary cases. He explained that among the new procedures this year is to transfer 15% of passengers traffic from the main building to Sheikh Saad (T3) building and the new passengers building of Jazeera Airline (T5), pointing out the efforts made to transfer the flights of Kuwait Airways to the new passengers building (T4) at the end of the current summer season. He stated that "This transfer will represent a balance to some extent in the passengers traffic between the four buildings until inaugurating the new passengers building (T2) in year 2022". He added that automated equipment were installed to issue boarding cards, pointing out that “The passenger who does not have luggage can issue the boarding card by himself without going to the check-in counter, which reduces the congestion at the check-in counters, and also the luggage can be weighed before the flight departure time by 4 hours at most”. Eng. Al-Fouzan indicated that a large umbrella was installed on the bridge of the departure hall, and the efficiency of the two areas (2) and (3) in the same hall was also improved by upgrading the billboard and the equipment for luggage-carriage. He added that a new mechanism was put in place to deal with the breakdown of the billboard in the two areas (1) and (4), in addition to putting new seats for the elderly people at the check-in areas. He also said that "Signboards were placed to show directions to the gates, and increased the security inspection equipment from 5 to 9 in order to facilitate passengers traffic, in addition to increasing the passport counters from 10 to 22 to facilitate the traffic flow. With respect to the transit area, Eng. Al-Fouzan explained that new praying areas were made, waiting chairs were added, and a new transit lounge was established for the passengers of Kuwait Airways, in addition to upgrading the visa lounge, renewing the toilets and increasing the operating capacity of the air-condition machines in the arrivals and departures areas as well as the customs lounge. Eng. Al-Fouzan stressed that the Operations Department has plans to collaborate with the governmental bodies, airlines companies and service providers operating at the airport in order to facilitate the passengers traffic during the current summer season. He expressed his hope for passengers cooperation until the completion of the new buildings, where several messages of explaining and guidance were issued to the public through mass media and social networks indicating the guidelines to be followed before traveling. Eng. Al-Fouzan pointed out the great role of the Ministry of Interior, Customs General Department, Fire General Department and Ministry of Health, and praised their efforts during the travel seasons, and also his hope for the cooperation and support of the operating airlines companies by means of increasing the number of their staff around the clock for the success of the current summer season.