KUWAIT CITY, Apr 17: As is customary every year during holiday seasons, Kuwait International Airport experiences an increase in traffic from departing and arriving citizens and residents. Many take advantage of this period to travel outside the country for tourism or to visit family members. Likewise, the number of Kuwaiti and resident students returning from studying abroad also rises during this time. To discuss the airport's preparations for the upcoming Eid Al-Fitr holiday, Al-Anbaa daily conducted an interview with Mansour Al-Hashemi, the Director of the Operations Department at Kuwait International Airport. In the interview, he stated that the airport is expecting over 220,000 passengers to board 1,800 flights with 900 departures and 900 arrivals. He also assured the public that all civil aviation sectors and airport agencies are fully prepared to handle the influx of travelers during the holiday period, which is set to take place from the 20th to the 25th of this month.

During an exclusive interview with Al-Anbaa, Mansour Al-Hashemi stated that it is anticipated that between the 20th to the 25th of this month, the airport will handle over 220,000 passengers who will board 1,800 departure and arrival flights to and from various destinations, with 900 round trips. Out of this number, 110,000 will be departing passengers while the other 110,000 will be arriving. Al-Hashemi further disclosed that there are currently 17 additional flights scheduled from April 20th to 29th. The most popular destinations during the upcoming vacation period are reportedly Dubai, Doha, Cairo, Istanbul, Sabiha, and Jeddah, among other locations.

According to Al-Hashemi, the Operations Department of the Airport Affairs Sector at DGCA has established a comprehensive coordination plan with all ground service providers and agencies operating at the airport in anticipation of the Eid Al-Fitr holiday. He highlighted that the coordination is ongoing to facilitate the departure and arrival processes and to provide all the necessary facilities based on the scheduled flights at all terminals. Al-Hashemi further explained that the plan covers all operational procedures under the supervision and follow-up of various airport staff across all sectors, 24/7, to ensure a smooth and efficient workflow. He also assured that all operational procedures comply with international standards.

Al-Hashemi urged all departing passengers during the upcoming phase to arrive at the airport three hours prior to the scheduled departure time of the flight. He emphasized the importance of verifying the validity of all travel documents in the destination country and complying with all necessary terms and conditions for travel to different destinations. Al-Hashemi emphasized that each country follows its own procedures and regulations, in accordance with international and local travel terms and conditions for operating airports in all terminals to various destinations. He also stressed the need to confirm all travel procedures, travel documents, passport validity, and visa procedures for each departure, origin, and return country, in compliance with the departure and arrival terms and conditions at Kuwait International Airport.

According to Al-Hashemi, civil aviation disseminates all procedures and issues circulars from other countries about travel to airlines and ground service providers to inform travelers departing to those destinations of the need to adhere to and comply with the procedures.

Al-Hashemi also mentioned that the movement at the airport during Ramadan has been smooth and well-coordinated, thanks to the collaboration and organization of work among all parties. He added that the General Administration of Civil Aviation is operating at full capacity to ensure these flights operate without any delays, and employees are available in a shift system throughout the day to assist travelers of all categories and destinations, ensuring a seamless workflow.