KUWAIT: Jazeera Airways Serves No Alcoholic Beverages On Its Flights

Jazeera Airways K.S.C is a Kuwaiti airline with its head office on the grounds of Kuwait International Airport in Al Farwaniyah Governorate, Kuwait. It operates scheduled services in the Middle East. Its main base is Kuwait International Airport.

The airline has grown since its launch to become Kuwait's second national airline and has been dynamic in popularising low-cost carriers in the Middle East.

Jazeera Airways is one of the largest operators at Kuwait airport, having handled a quarter of all aircraft movements and passengers at the airport during July 2009.

According to the July 2009 report issued by Kuwait Directorate General for Civil Aviation's, Jazeera Airways had the largest number of aircraft movement in the month with 1834 take-offs and landings, over passing the second largest carrier in aircraft movement by 4% .

In 2004 the Kuwait Government permitted the establishment of the non-governmental airline firm, essentially ending Kuwait’s 50-year-old dependency on Kuwait Airways. The 2004 Emiree Decree #89 established Jazeera Airways as the first airline to enter this newly liberalized industry.

Jazeera Airways raised its capital of KD 10 million (USD 35 million) through an initial public offering in Kuwait that was oversubscribed 12 times.

The capital was doubled to KD 20 million (USD 70 million) in 4Q 2007 by a second offering to existing shareholders. In May 2009, a share distribution of 10% effectively increased the capital to KD 22 million (USD 77 million).

About 26% of the airline is owned by two companies affiliated with the Boodai Group: Wings Finance (9%) and Boodai Projects (17%).

6-7% is also held by Jasem M. al-Mousa Trading, a company owned by a former Minister of Public Works in the first Kuwaiti government established after the end of Iraq's invasion of Kuwait. About 17.5% is held by two real estate companies, and the rest is publicly held.

Jazeera Airways started operations on 30 October 2005 with a fleet of brand new Airbus A320 aircraft, all leather seats, flying to several destinations in the Middle East.

In Q2 2009, UAE authorities requested the airline to terminate its hub operations at Dubai. This step was seen as a support to Dubai's upcoming launch of its own low-cost airline, FlyDubai.

Jazeera changed its operation model by concentrating on its Kuwait hub and trying to launch a second hub somewhere else. By Q2 2010, the new model proved unprofitable as the Kuwait hub suffered from overcapacity.

The airline changed its plans by cancelling many stations and parking some aircraft which were later returned to lessor.

In 2018, Jazeera Airways opened their own dedicated terminal at Kuwait International Airport. The facility is claimed to be the first owned, built and operated by a private airline in the Middle East.

It features a dedicated check-in hall for Jazeera passengers, Business Class lounge, direct access to Jazeera boarding gates, and a car park with 350 spaces connected by a sky bridge.

Jazeera Airways flies to destinations across the Middle East from its base in Kuwait. Since 2018, the company has expanded its available routes as below:

Azerbaijan

Baku - Heydar Aliyev International Airport

Bahrain

Manama - Bahrain International Airport

Egypt

Alexandria - Borg El Arab Airport

Assiut - Assiut Airport

Cairo - Cairo International Airport

Luxor - Luxor International Airport

Alexandria - Borg El Arab Airport

Hurghada - Hurghada International Airport

Luxor - Luxor International Airport

Marsa Alam - Marsa Alam International Airport

Sharm El Sheikh - Sharm El Sheikh International Airport Seasonal

Sohag - Sohag International Airport

Georgia

Tbilisi - Tbilisi International Airport

India

Ahmedabad - Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport

Delhi - Indira Gandhi International Airport

Hyderabad - Rajiv Gandhi International Airport

Kochi - Cochin International Airport

Mumbai - Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport

Iran

Isfahan - Isfahan International Airport

Mashhad - Mashhad International Airport

Shiraz - Shiraz International Airport

Tehran - Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airport

Iraq

Najaf - Al Najaf International Airport

Jordan

Amman - Queen Alia International Airport

Kuwait

Kuwait City - Kuwait International Airport

Lebanon

Beirut - Rafik Hariri International Airport

Maldives

Malé - Velana International Airport

Oman

Muscat - Muscat International Airport

Salalah - Salalah International Airport

Pakistan

Lahore - Allama Iqbal International Airport

Qatar

Doha - Hamad International Airport

Saudi Arabia

Jeddah - King Abdulaziz International Airport

Medina - Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport

Riyadh - King Khalid International Airport

Ta'if - Ta'if Regional Airport

Sudan

Khartoum - Khartoum International Airport

Syria

Aleppo - Aleppo International Airport

Damascus - Damascus International Airport

Deir ez-Zor - Deir ez-Zor Airport

Turkey

Bodrum - Milas–Bodrum Airport

Antalya - Antalya Airport

Istanbul - Istanbul Atatürk International Airport

Istanbul - Arnavutköy International Airport

Istanbul - Sabiha Gokçen International Airport

United Arab Emirates

Abu Dhabi - Abu Dhabi International Airport

Dubai - Dubai International Airport

United Kingdom

London - London Gatwick International Airport (Begins 27 October 2019)

Yemen

Sana'a -Sana'a International Airport

The Jazeera Airways fleet consists of the following aircraft:

9 - Airbus A320-200

1 - Airbus A320neo

The last of the A320s was delivered from Airbus on 9 January 2010.

The airline's fleet is powered by CFM56-5B engines. The airline has contracted Lufthansa Technik to maintain and service them. All Jazeera Airways aircraft are fitted with 165 leather seats, and split into two cabins: Jazeera and Jazeera Business.

When Jazeera business is offered, six seats are cancelled to provide 12 Plus seats in addition to 147 Economy seats.

Jazeera Airways ordered 30 Airbus A320s on 18 June 2007. This was announced at the Paris Air Show bringing its total orders up to 35 Airbus A320s.

During 2010, due to the airline's change of operation plans, several aircraft were parked, and eventually five were returned to lessor Sahaab which leased them to Virgin America and SriLankan Airlines.

In April 2011, Jazeera Airways canceled 25 of the 40 A320s it ordered in 2007. Jazeera will take delivery of four A320s still on order from 2012-2014.

In 2018, Jazeera Airways took deliveries of the first Airbus A320neo aircraft in the Middle East, and is putting the service on their Dubai route.

The airline offers business and economy class seating. The economy class seating has leather seats and shareable TV screens. Business class seats have leather seats and personal TV screens and two seats per row.

Jazeera Airways is one of the few airlines which doesn't serve alcoholic beverages on its flights.

On 2 August 2018, Jazeera flight (J9 608) from Kuwait caught fire in its right engine on landing at Hyderabad. All 145 passengers were evacuated safely and the fire was extinguished.

Tourism Observer

UAE: Alcohol Consumption Not Prohibited On Emirates. A Passenger In A Car Driven By Someone With Alcohol In Their Blood Will Get Arrested.

Dubai flights have worried passengers when it comes to serving alcohol mid-flight.

British passenger Dr Ellie Holman was arrested after landing at the airport in the UAE and was found to have alcohol in her bloodstream.

She confirmed that she had a glass of wine during the flight that was offered by the airline.

Emirates has made statements regarding their alcohol rules.

Emirates customers have complained in regards to alcohol consumption.

One woman asked: “Dear @emirates and @British_Airways, am I in danger of getting arrested on a flight to the #UAE if I order alcohol?

Another asked: “Could you clarify if I can drink alcohol in the lounge and during a connecting flight from BHX to BKK. The Embassy are now saying it's illegal to consume whilst transiting through DBX.”

Emirates responded by saying - Alcohol consumption is not prohibited on our flights.

Furthermore alcohol is also served in the lounged in Dubai airport and available for purchase in the Duty Free.

Emirates continues to invest in our food and beverage programme, which is an integral part of our inflight experience, says an Emirates official.

However, like on any other airline, or indeed any hospitality establishment, unruly or disruptive behaviour from intoxication will not be tolerated, and there may be legal consequences.

The safety and well-being of our passengers and crew on board will always be our top priority, Emirates said.

The British Embassy in the UAE warned Britons travelling to the country in regards to drinking alcohol.

They said it is a punishable offence to be under the influence of alcohol in public, including when transiting through the UAE.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office warns that Passengers in transit through the UAE under the influence of alcohol may also be arrested.

Dubai is popular with British travellers for the cheap flights on offer and good weather all year round.

UAE has recently announced new changes for tourists in regard to transit visa, allowing longer in the country, and free visas for children in a tourism drive.

However strict rules in regards to other substances such as drugs and relations between men and women should be checked before travelling.

A strictly Muslim country, some tourists have found themselves in trouble when participating in activities that are allowed in the UK.

Earlier, Dubai tourists were warned against drinking alcohol on flights when travelling to the country following the arrest of a British mother who drank one glass of wine on an Emirates flight.

Dubai flights often serve alcoholic drinks inflight as it is not illegal to drink in the air.

It is but illegal to be drunk in public in Dubai.

The British Embassy in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) issued the warning to Britons travelling to the country.

They warned, if caught carrying or drinking alcohol without a licence or with alcohol in your blood you can be arrested.

The warning follows the arrest of Ellie Holman, who was detained when landing and was found with alcohol in her blood.

It is a punishable offence to be under the influence of alcohol in public-including when transiting through the UAE.

It can result in custodial sentences and/or fine but other offences committed while drunk will be heard separately.

Take care to respect local customs, behave respectfully when consuming alcohol.

There is zero tolerance for drink driving in the UAE. You can be arrested as a passenger in a car driven by someone with alcohol in their blood.

Tourists cannot buy a license for alcohol, and so must only drink in areas which carry a license.

Passengers in transit through the UAE under the influence of alcohol may also be arrested.

Radha Stirling, chief executive of human rights group detained in Dubai, said: In light of the FCO’s announcement, we will be contacting all airlines who transit to or through the UAE to clarify their position on serving alcohol to passengers.

Either the UAE will need to reform their laws urgently, or the airlines will need to update their policy to ensure the safety of customers.

Dr Ellie Holman was imprisoned for three days in Dubai after being asked if she had consumed alcohol on the flight.

She said she was very pleased the Foreign Office had changed the travel warning for British tourists.

Dubai has recently been encouraging British tourists to visit by offering free transit visas as well as free children visas every summer.

Flights to the UAE destination can be as cheap as £350 return when travelling abroad on holiday.

However, a number of tourists have come into trouble due to the strict laws.

Jamie Harron was sentenced to a month in prison last year for drinking alcohol, after being accused of indecently touching another man.

The man said he touched his hip in the bar, something Mr Harron said happened when he tried to walk past while carrying drinks.

Despite paying £32,000 in legal fees and losing his job, the British tourist said he would go back to the country.

A passenger was jailed in Dubai after drinking alcohol on a flight when travelling to the country on holiday with her family, but is it against the law to do so?

A passenger flying from the UK to Dubai was jailed after landing when she drank a glass of wine on the flight.

Dr Ellie Holman, 44, from Kent, was travelling with her four-year-old daughter when she was given a glass of alcohol on an Emirates flight.

When she landed, she was jailed due to public intoxication.

But is it against the law to drink on flights when travelling to Dubai?

Flights to and from Dubai will often serve alcohol, such as Emirates and Etihad.

Some flights will be dry depending on the carrier, and which country it is based such as Kuwait Airways and Egypt Air who do not serve alcohol.

While it is not banned to drink onboard if it is served, it is illegal to be drunk in public in Dubai, also known as public intoxication.

The Foreign Office warns: “You should be aware that it is a punishable offence under UAE law to drink or be under the influence of alcohol in public.

“Passengers in transit through the UAE under the influence of alcohol may also be arrested.”

This means, if a passenger has landed after having had an alcoholic drink, they could be breaking the law if alcohol is found in the blood in tests.

Drinking in Dubai is not prohibited across the country, but alcohol must only be confused in licensed venues such as hotels and restaurants.

Being drunk and disorderly is against the law and could see long jail sentences.

Dr Holman, who has been in jail since July, could face being imprisoned for a year.

She said my passport remains confiscated until the case is settled, which I have been told will take at least a year.

It has reportedly cost her more than £50,000 in legal fees and missed work: My practice is closed. All our savings have gone.

A number of tourists have been jailed or fined while on holiday in Dubai for breaking local laws.

Jake Harron, 27, from Scotland, was arrested for public indecency last year after putting a hand on a man’s hip in a bar while walking past with a drink

He was sentenced to three months in prison after spending £32,000 in legal fees, which was eventually overruled.

Caren Harmon, 43, was detained in the country last year after being accused of taking illegal drugs on the flight.

She was subjected to a number of tests, which were found to be negative and she was released after three and a half hours.

Jamie Harron, 27, from Stirling in Scotland, has had his passport taken away from him and faces a three year sentence over the allegations that he touched a businessman’s hip in a bar in Dubai.

The electrician has been convicted and sentenced in advance of his trial on public indecency for drinking alcohol in the Alcohol free zone.

A spokesman for prosecution service in Dubai said: On the drinking charge, he has been sentenced to a month in jail, fined 2,000 dirhams (£412) and will be deported.

His next appearance on the public indecency case is on October 22.

Mr Harron has admitted that he placed his hand on a man’s hip to ensure that they would not bump into each other and spill their drinks.

However, he has said it was a cultural misunderstanding and he has denied indecency.

Following the incident in the bar, he was arrested and jailed for five days before being released on bail.

Mr Harron has been stuck in Dubai for the last three months and spent more than £32,000 in expenses and legal fees in a bid to resolve the issue.

Mr Harron said: I never knew how much stress I could endure until this happened and the waiting game is the worst.

Radha Stirling, CEO of Detained In Dubai, the British-based NGO who is leading the campaign to help Jamie, said: Jamie's case is not about knowing the law. He followed the law and has witnesses to support him.

This is a case of false and spiteful allegations being made against Jamie and the way that Dubai authorities have responded.

The complainant in this case has no evidence of any crime being committed but Jamie has been stuck in the UAE for more than three months.

Regarding the alcohol charges, of course, he was drinking, everyone was.

He was in a licensed bar. Informing tourists of the law does not help, when the entire enforcement system in the UAE needs an overhaul.

His father, Graham, said: We can't believe that this nightmare has gone on for three months. Jamie is a good boy. He has never been a problem and never in trouble.

We are a very close family and it is killing us to think of him spending even three nights in jail, let alone three years.

Mr Harron had been working in Afghanistan and was on a two-day stopover in Dubai when the incident happened.

British government warned tourists flying to Dubai not to drink alcohol on flights or they risk jail after a mum was locked up for having a glass of wine on a journey to the United Arab Emirates.

The warning, which came on the UK in the United Arab Emirates Facebook page, warned Britons it is a punishable offence to be under the influence of alcohol in public - including when transiting through the UAE.

The British Consulate said that people should take care to respect local customs and behave respectfully when consuming alcohol.

The warning also said: If caught carrying or drinking alcohol without a licence or with alcohol in your blood, you can be arrested.

It is a punishable offence to be under the influence of alcohol in public - including when transiting through the UAE.

It can result in custodial sentences and/or a fine.

They told the UK expats that they would need to apply for a licence before they can drink alcohol, which only non-Muslims and non-tourists are able to obtain.

Millions holiday in the UAE every year and they should not be put in harms way by Emirates and other airlines and suffer like I and my family did.

Either the UAE will need to reform their laws urgently, or the airlines will need to update their policy to ensure the safety of customers.

The travel advice says: The UAE is a Muslim country. Laws and customs are very different to those in the UK. You should respect local traditions, customs, laws and religions at all times. There may be serious penalties for doing something that might not be illegal in the UK.


Tourism Observer

KUWAIT: Kuwait Airways Drops New York-London Route

The incident revolves around the company's refusal in 2013 to sell a ticket to an Israeli citizen who wanted to fly from New York's JFK airport to Heathrow airport in London.

Kuwait Airways is eliminating service between New York and London after the US Department of Transportation ordered the carrier to stop refusing to sell tickets to Israelis.

Namrata Kolachalam, a spokeswoman for the Department of Transportation, announced the airline’s decision.

On September 30, the department announced that the airline had acted illegally when it refused to sell a ticket to Eldad Gatt, an Israeli citizen, in 2013.

Gatt wanted to fly from New York's John F. Kennedy to London's Heathrow airport.

On October 29, the department ordered the airline to “cease and desist from refusing to transport Israeli citizens between the U.S. and any third country where they are allowed to disembark,” citing a letter from the department’s assistant general counsel for enforcement.

Kuwait Airways explained its refusal to sell Gatt a ticket by saying it needed to comply with a Kuwaiti law barring citizens from agreements “with entities or persons residing in Israel, or with Israeli citizenship.”

The airline filed a counter suit against the department on November 24, which it has not yet withdrawn. If it prevails, it may resume the New York-London flights.

Kuwait's discriminatory has landed it in hot water in other arenas as well. In October, the country was stripped of its Olympic qualifying status after an Israeli delegate was refused an entry visa in order to participate in the Asian Shooting Championship.

KUWAIT: Kuwait Airways Adds Ahmedabad And Bengaluru New Flights

Kuwait Airways added to its Indian network of destinations this week – starting services to Ahmedabad and Bengaluru. Operations to the latter were marked by not one but two route launch cakes!

Kuwait Airways added services to Ahmedabad (AMD), which was last served by the airline in October 2008, and Bengaluru (BLR) from its Kuwait City (KWI) hub this week.

While the former will be flown thrice-weekly against competition from Air India (twice-weekly), the latter will be operated on a four times weekly basis and will face no incumbent carriers.

Both services began on 1 September and both will be flown by the Middle Eastern carrier’s 130-seat A320s.

PHILIPPINES: Cebu Pacific Air Starts Flights From Manila To Kuwait

Cebu Pacific Air has become the latest airline to start services to Kuwait. On 2 September the first flight left Manila with the first return flight departing Kuwait International Airport on 3 September. The airline’s 7,600-kilometre service is the airport’s third longest after United Airlines’ service to Washington Dulles (10,580 kilometres) and Kuwait Airways’ 10,220-kilometre service to New York JFK.

The State of Kuwait only has one civil airport, Kuwait International Airport. The airport has grown steadily if unspectacularly in recent years, with the national carrier Kuwait Airways not trying to emulate some of the region’s other carriers in trying to become a global hub carrier. Even so, passenger numbers have more than doubled between 2003 and 2012, and last year traffic growth was 5.6% suggesting that the airport could break the 10-million passenger mark in 2014 for the first time.

Last week saw the arrival of the airport’s latest new airline, Cebu Pacific Air. The Philippine carrier launched thrice-weekly flights from Manila on 2 September, with the first service from Kuwait taking place the following day. At over 7,600 kilometres this is the airport’s third longest non-stop service, beaten only by United Airlines’ service from Washington Dulles (10,580 kilometres) and Kuwait Airways’ service to New York JFK (10,220 kilometres)

Kuwait Airways serves 30 destinations non-stop
Based on analysis of Innovata / Diio Mi data for September, Kuwait Airways serves around 30 destinations non-stop from its home airport. The only destination served currently that was not served last September is Lahore, to where services were launched in April. Destinations served in Europe include Frankfurt, London Heathrow and Rome Fiumicino. Asian destinations include Bangkok, Colombo, Dhaka and Kuala Lumpur, as well as the Indian airports of Chennai, Delhi, Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram.

Jazeera Airways is a Kuwait-based low-fare airline which started operations in October 2005 and currently serves 14 destinations non-stop from Kuwait using a fleet of A320s. During the last year the airline swopped its Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen service for flights to Istanbul Atatürk instead. It also began serving Dubai Al Maktoum, as well as maintaining multiple daily flights at Dubai’s main airport.

A total of 41 airlines currently operate scheduled services to Kuwait including all of the MEB3 carriers (Emirates, Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways). Apart from Cebu Pacific, other new carriers at the airport during the last 12 months have been Pegasus Airlines (which began flights from Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen on 26 March 2014), Nile Air (which started flights from Luxor in May) and Atlasjet (which introduced flights from Istanbul Atatürk in July). Compared with last September seat capacity across all airlines is up just over 8%.
Dubai dominates destination ranking

In terms of leading cities, Dubai leads the way with 23 daily flights split across four airlines; flydubai (11 daily flights), Emirates (six), Jazeera Airways (four) and Kuwait Airways (two). Doha, Cairo and Bahrain are the next busiest routes, but with just 63, 58 and 56 weekly departures respectively. Dubai Al Maktoum and Manila are the two busiest new markets served this year that were not served in September 2013.