Kuwait City: In a major step towards enhancing bilateral air connectivity, India and Kuwait have signed a new air services agreement that boosts weekly seat capacity by 50 percent, increasing the limit from 12,000 to 18,000 seats in each direction.
The agreement was reached during a high-level meeting recently in New Delhi, where senior aviation authorities from both nations met to strengthen cooperation in the civil aviation sector.
The memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed by Sheikh Hamoud Mubarak Al Sabah, President of Kuwait’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), and Samir Kumar Sinha, India’s Civil Aviation Secretary.
This marks the first revision of bilateral air rights since 2006, when the capacity had been raised from 8,320 seats. The latest development comes amid soaring travel demand and consistently full flight schedules between the two countries.
Kuwait’s DGCA announced the agreement via Instagram, sharing images of the signing and highlighting the cordial and collaborative nature of the discussions.
The Kuwaiti delegation included representatives from Kuwait Airways, Jazeera Airways, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and civil aviation officials, alongside their Indian counterparts. Talks centred on strengthening operational ties and promoting technical collaboration in the air transport sector.
Sheikh Hamoud described the pact as a timely initiative that “will support and expand the air transport market for both nations, aligning with evolving industry dynamics and traveller expectations.”
Indian carriers are already moving to take advantage of the expanded rights. IndiGo has requested 5,000 additional weekly seats, while Air India Express and Akasa Air have each applied for 3,000. Air India is expected to add 1,500 seats to its existing allocation.
Flights under the new agreement are expected to launch from August 2025, pending allocation of time slots at Kuwait International Airport.
