New Delhi / Kuwait City – In a landmark move, India and Kuwait have signed a revised air services agreement that boosts weekly seat capacity between the two nations by 50%, allowing each country’s airlines to operate up to 18,000 seats per week—up from the previous cap of 12,000. This marks the first such capacity increase since the 2006 adjustment that raised the allotment from 8,320 seats .
✈️ Key Highlights of the Agreement
- The MoU was signed in New Delhi by India’s Civil Aviation Secretary, Samir Kumar Sinha, and Sheikh Hamoud Al‑Mubarak, President of Kuwait’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation
- Passenger demand has been mounting for months, driven largely by over 900,000 Indian expatriates in Kuwait, many hailing from Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Gujarat .
- The expansion enables additional slot access at Kuwait International Airport—alleviating prior congestion and operational constraints for Indian carriers seeking to scale up services .
📊 Current Operations and Aircraft Deployment
Nearly 40 daily flights already connect India and Kuwait, operated by carriers including IndiGo, Air India Express, Akasa Air, Kuwait Airways, and Jazeera Airways.
- Kuwait Airways leads with approximately 54 weekly flights, while IndiGo accounts for around 36 weekly services
- Indian airlines are proactively requesting allocations under the new quota: IndiGo seeks an extra 5,000 seats/week, Air India Express and Akasa Air each aim for 3,000 seats, and Air India looks to add around 1,500 seats.
Routes to be expanded initially include Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram, Chennai, Bengaluru, Mumbai, and Ahmedabad, reflecting the strong demand from South Indian cities💼 Strategic and Community Impacts
- Among strategic goals, the deal eases fare pressures and improves accessibility for travelers on the India–Kuwait corridor. With current operations running at capacity, excess demand had been driving up prices and limiting flexibility
- Indian carriers stand to benefit significantly with additional runway and parking slots in Kuwait, improving their competitiveness relative to Gulf airlines .
- For Kerala’s expatriate community—which constitutes the bulk of the Indian workforce in Kuwait—the expanded capacity offers more affordable options and smoother travel logistics
