KUWAIT CITY, July 11: The interim government Tuesday morning held a meeting headed by Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah, during which the Minister of Communications and acting Minister of Social Affairs and Labor Salem Al-Utheina was granted the permission to take steps for the revival of the reputation of Kuwait Airways Corporation (KAC) and ensure the safety of the passengers, reports Al-Anba daily quoting reliable sources.

They revealed that the government gave free reins to Al-Utheina to do whatever is required to settle the issue and ensure that the international safety and security conditions allotted in this regard are met.
When asked about the decision taken by the Cabinet to rent new aircraft to KAC, they said the interim government is currently unable to take such a decision; however, the minister will undertake the responsibility of handling the current situation within the realm of his authoritative powers.

They added that during the meeting, Al-Utheina proposed to rent three aircraft temporarily to manage the congestion in the KAC schedule. Al-Utheina also suggested to hasten the issuance of the decision to privatize KAC which will require the formation of a new board and restructuring of its sectors.

Meanwhile, Managing Director of KAC Mohammad Al-Hilal said the top officials of KAC have prepared an alternative plan to overcome the problems that resulted from the suspension of five aircraft whereby they suggested reducing the flight movements of the aircraft rather cancelling it altogether, reports Al-Seyassah daily.

He assured that the efforts of the maintenance teams will be intensified and technicians will be called back from their annual leaves in order to handle any breakdowns.

He stressed that they studied the situation carefully and came up with the plan of intensifying the maintenance operations in order to eliminate the need for issuing the decision to suspend the five aircraft, adding that the KAC officials will not stop their meetings and discussions until the problem is resolved.
Regarding the alternative solution of renting aircraft for KAC, the officials pointed out that this solution is not effective for the current crisis as the step of renting new aircraft requires the approval of Fatwa and Legislation Department, State Audit Bureau and several other governmental authorities, all of which will take nearly six months for completion. In addition, more time will be required to inspect the aircraft and train the employees.

Sources revealed that KAC had submitted a request last December to the government for renting four aircraft in order to manage future shortages, but the government had refused to consider the request.

They further revealed that KAC had demanded for 18 planes that were supposed to be delivered two years back; however, the lack of cooperation between the two authorities led to the delay in the delivery, adding that all these issues led to their demand for the privatization of KAC in order to rescue the national carrier from destruction.

In another development, Director of Operations Department at Kuwait International Airport Esam Al-Zamil said the airport is experiencing an increase in operations due to the large number of people travelling this summer season.

He indicated that 1,72,000 passengers travelled from the country on 925 flights so far during the current summer season, stressing that the department is keen on providing proper services to the passengers. He added that field teams have been recruited to assist in carrying out all necessary procedures.
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