Mumbai30 Nov 23 1 Traveller Economy
Showing International Flight from Kuwait City
About Kuwait
Kuwait City is the official capital of Kuwait, the country. It is nestled on the coast of the charming Persian Gulf. It is recognised to be one of the most expensive cities with residents relishing an upscale lifestyle.
Best time to visit Kuwait
Kuwait is predominantly a desert and follows a similar season throughout the year. November through April is ideal for a trip to Kuwait. The peak for Kuwait is November to January as the temperatures drop severely but to give a pleasant desert winter. During winters, not only is the weather perfect but the city also bustles with various events and lively excursions. Indulging in tourist activities becomes easier. Despite the favourable weather, many tourists don't opt for this season as the winters can get too cold. With fewer tourists in the city, the hotel prices in Kuwait also turn cheap. This makes for a perfect time to visit the beautiful city and not deal with the excess throng of travellers. September to November is also quite favourable as the temperatures are balanced. The city faces humidity but is windy at the same time, making it less irksome.
The prices of flights and accommodation also see a surge as the demand is high for tourism. If you do some intense research on the web, you might be able to snag some amazing online flight deals. They might even come with some good hotel deals. As long as you make prior bookings for hotels and flight tickets to Kuwait, you will be able to receive some cheap deals. It would be better to make your bookings in advance as that would help you plan your trip better. With a major chunk of your expenses sorted, you will be able to indulge in some of the fun things the city has to offer. You can further elevate your experience by engaging in some of their fancy settings too. You might even be able to book a snazzy hotel in Kuwait with exquisite views and hospitality.
Places to visit in Kuwait
Kuwait is blessed with some beautiful tourist attractions. You can start your trip by visiting the Tareq Rajab Museum. It is a popular ethnographic museum with compelling exhibits that would definitely marvel you. From collections of gorgeous Islamic art saved by the first minister of Kuwait and his British wife to a pair of fabulous ornate doors from Cairo, the museum has some fine exhibits and decor. The city also has the bizarre but entertaining Mirror House. The establishment is basically covered with mosaic mirrors which was created by the Italian-Kuwaiti artist Lidia Al Qattan. You would have a good time at the Mirror House with its eccentricities. Kuwait's most popular attraction is definitely the Souq Mubarakiya. The establishment is one of the oldest souk markets in the city which continues to rake in all the attention. The ancient market is now surrounded by modern tall buildings.
You should know this, the city actually has about 800 mosques out of which the Grand Mosque is the largest and the one which survived an Iraqi invasion. The Scientific Centre also has one of the colossal aquariums which includes spider crabs and shark and ray tanks. Do not miss the Kuwait Towers which has been designed by a Swedish architectural organisation. You can also spend some time from your trip by hanging out at the Al Qurain Martyr's Museum. It has some great historical references. Kuwait's love for vintage cars and classic automobiles is very well-known. In fact, they have even placed a museum to commemorate the same. You can actually peruse through some of the exquisite imperial models of vintage cars in mint condition. The vehicles are perfectly maintained and polished to ensure that not a scratch falls on it.
Things to do in Kuwait
Kuwait is recognised as one of the poshest places across the globe. The city bustles with pizzazz lifestyle as people walk around with Birkin bags and Gucci shoes. The best thing to do in Kuwait would hence, be to indulge in some of this luxe lifestyle. You can actually indulge in their food culture as a means to start the lavish rendezvous. There are many upscale food establishments in the city that would keep you entertained. Of course, if this is not your cup of tea, you can always work out some shopping schedule. There is literally not a single person who has ever avoided indulging in shopping during a trip. It would be quite therapeutic for you to engage in shopping and at the same time, check out some of the intriguing places in the city. You might even end up finding fun neighbourhoods that would go well with your vibe. Speaking of which, if smoking sheesha and enjoying that kind of setting is something you're up for, then there are many parlours in the city that have this provision.
Some of the other fun things that can be done in Kuwait is to check out the surrounding islands. The Failaka island seems like a good place to check out. You can take a ferry from the city to reach Failaka, an island that is not inhabited. You will actually witness a city of ruins as an effect of the historic Gulf War. The one main attraction here is the House of Martyrs which celebrates all the soldiers who fought the war and perished in the line of duty. Another fun activity to do in the city is to take up a desert safari and spend the night in the desert. There are many luxurious tents and provisions of accommodation in the desert region that you would totally enjoy.
Food and Restaurants in Kuwait
Kuwait has a fancy spread of cuisines which majorly range from Lebanese to Puerto Rican. You can make quite an experience of your dining scenes in Kuwait as the city caters to some exquisite luxe lifestyle. There are provisions of quaint restaurants with decent prices, and there are also five-star hotels with shisha bars and views of the water. Overall, it is quite the posh experience one can savour in the city. As stated though, their cuisine while predominantly is of Lebanese background, it also adds a small portion of Puerto Rican flavours. You can indulge in some flavourful zingy hummus while slurping down grilled shrimps and lamb cutlets. Not to mention how there is always room for fancy desserts that complete the dining experience.
Assaha Village, located in the Al Khaleej Al Arabi Street of Kuwait City, is one such food complex that would lift your senses. Their brilliant food interspersed with fancy settings is something that will go down well with you. You can find some of the best places to indulge in food, here in the village. There's a Glass Cafe, Fire Station and Police Station that provide splendid food. For a lavish spread of seafood, you should head straight to Al Boom. The place does boom with impeccable seafood and also caters to the audience that wishes to be entertained with some steak. To savour the rich Lebanese magic, you should check out Ayam Zaman. It has all the flavours and food from the Lebanese cuisine that would excite your taste buds.s
How to reach Kuwait (Transportation)
Flight connectivity to Kuwait from India is exemplary, owing to the massive demand. There are many families, businessmen and even employees who flock over to Kuwait for employment opportunities, adding to the excessive demand for flights. There are many flights that fly to Kuwait from India daily. Airlines such as Srilankan Airlines, flydubai, Air Arabia, IndiGo, Gulf Air, Oman Air, Emirates, Etihad Airways, Saudia, to name a few, have flights to Kuwait from Indian cities. You can find direct and nonstop flights to Kuwait from Kochi and Delhi. A majority of airports in the South Indian cities have dedicated direct flights to Kuwait. The most popular international routes often chosen to travel to Kuwait are from Dubai, Muscat and Bahrain. These cities are well-connected with Kuwait and even have dedicated flights to Kuwait. Most of the Middle-Eastern cities are perfectly connected with each other. This makes travelling to Kuwait much easier as you can reach the city from any of the Middle-Eastern cities that are located in proximity.
The flight duration to Kuwait from India is also quite convenient. It takes approximately five hours and fifty minutes to reach Kuwait from India. However, depending on the flight that you choose, the time duration to reach Kuwait will be altered. For the expensive flight tickets to Kuwait, the duration is extremely less. You can easily reach in five hours and fifty minutes from India for approximately INR 20,000. However, for INR 10,000, you can reach Kuwait within a flight duration of seven hours and forty minutes. The contrast in the prices explains how just an extra hour would cost you double the money. The range of cheap flight tickets to Kuwait further makes it easy to reach. Many tourists opt to visit Kuwait for a touristy excursion. It is essential that you make prior flight bookings to Kuwait to avoid a surge in prices. If you are planning for a vacation in Kuwait, especially during the peak season, then you would have to deal with the additional holiday cost. Hence, as long as you can make prior bookings and hotel reservations done for Kuwait, you will be able to save tremendously.
About Sri Lankan Airlines
Sri Lankan Airlines is the official flag carrier of Sri Lanka and is also part of the Oneworld airline alliance. The airline is currently the largest carrier in Sri Lanka with respect to the fleet size and the number of destinations covered. It was initially launched as Air Lanka in 1979, following the termination of Air Ceylon, the former Sri Lankan flag carrier. Operations of Air Ceylon were terminated as Air Lanka took over all the flight activities. Air Lanka was partially acquiesced by Emirates in 1998, which resulted in a total rebranding of the airlines. The acquisition also introduced the current livery that Srilankan Airlines possesses. In 2008 though, the Sri Lankan government acquired all the shares of Air Lanka from Emirates and brought forth a rebranded airline. While the partnership with Emirates was terminated, the airlines changed its name to SriLankan Airlines and changed the logo of the company as well.
Right after its rebranding, Sri Lankan Airlines acquired six Airbus A330-200s to add to its fleet of Airbus A340-300 and A320-200 aircraft. Soon, in 2000, the airline further added its fourth aircraft, A340-300, which arrived at Colombo with the airline's refurbished corporate livery. Sri Lankan Airlines also upgraded its A340 fleet by adding a two-class configuration to enhance the brand name and reflect its new corporate image. The airlines also worked to increase its destinations for domestic routes and international routes, primarily in India and the Middle East. As expansions continued on one side, the airlines commenced flights to Jeddah, the third Saudi destination, after Riyadh and Dammam. In 2017, the airlines also introduced its direct daily non-stop flight connection to Melbourne in Australia. This has been Sri Lankan Airlines' most ambitious expansions to date as its long haul route between Australia, and Sri Lanka was brought back after a hiatus of 16 years.
Currently, Sri Lankan Airlines is known to operate about 560 flights in a week. It has excellent connectivity as it operates in over 113 destinations across 51 countries. These numbers also include the codeshare operations that have been signed by the airlines. The airline's main hub is situated at the Bandaranaike International Airport, located in the capital city of Colombo. Sri Lankan Airlines joined the Oneworld airline alliance much recently, in 2014, to be precise. In the same year, Airbus A330 and Airbus A320, both found Oneworld's livery on their aircraft, commemorating the airline's establishment as one of the airlines in the alliance carrier. The airlines' livery is an all-white fuselage with SriLankan titles covered in blue while the tail sees the new corporate logo acquired by the airlines.
Fleet size of Sri Lankan Airlines
Sri Lankan Airlines' current fleet size is 26, which majorly has only Airbus aircraft. The maximum aircraft in their fleet includes the Airbus A330-300s. The airline introduced its first Airbus aircraft in 1992 as it began chartering the Airbus A320-200 to domestic routes to the Maldives, southern India and Pakistan. During the presidential rule of Premadasa, the airline further added Airbus A340-300 aircraft in its fleet with the first Airbus A340 being delivered in 1994. Sri Lankan Airlines became the first in Asia to charter Airbus A340 aircraft. In 2012, during President Rajapakse's rule, the airline planned for ambitious growth in expanding its fleet size to 35 aircraft with deals being signed with both aircraft companies, Airbus and Boeing. Former CEO of Srilankan Airline, Kapila Chandrasena also stated that the airline planned to add either Airbus A330-300 or Boeing 777-300ER, Boeing 787-8 in its fleet. With this, they aimed to replace the Airbus A340-300. In 2013, the airlines bagged government approval to charter four Airbus A350-900 and seven A330-300 aircraft while deliveries of A330-300 commenced from 2014. Following the large order, the airline also leased three Airbus A350-900s, deliveries of the same starting in 2017.
Sri Lankan Airlines eventually phased out its Airbus A340-300 in 2016 and replaced the aircraft with A330-300 and A350-900. In 2015, the airlines also signed a deal with Air Lease Corporation and AerCap intending to acquire two Airbus A321neo aircraft, lease them from each of the firms. In 2016 though, after incurring some financial losses and concerns, the airline announced that they would be cancelling their order of eight A350 aircraft. As of 2019, the airline still has four Airbus A350-900 aircraft in the monthly order book of the aircraft manufacturing company with no cancellations or conversions of the order to A330-900 from Srilankan Airlines.
Sri Lankan Airlines Baggage Allowance
The baggage allowance at Sri Lankan Airlines differs from the ticket-type chosen by the passenger. For the business class travellers, the airline offers a maximum weight of 40 kg for checked baggage. The dimension of the bags also needs to be within 158 cm, inclusive of pockets, handles and wheels. The economy class sees a significant drop of maximum weight being 30 kg with the same baggage dimension to be followed. Interestingly, a plethora of international airlines usually has a baggage allowance of 23 kg for checked baggage for the economy class. This gives Sri Lankan Airlines a benefit, especially among travellers who are carrying a lot of luggage. There might be restrictions on the baggage allowance depending on the airline partners. More details concerning this can be figured out at the airline's website or even at their customer care service.
In terms of hand luggage that can be carried on board, the airline allows weight no more than 7 kg. While the maximum weight remains the same for travellers of business and economy class, the difference comes with the number of bags that they are allowed to carry. While business class allows two pieces of hand luggage, economy class passengers are only allowed to carry one bag. Besides this, the passengers are allowed an additional small bag which could include a laptop, handbag, camera bag, etc. For travellers travelling with infants, an additional 5 kg weighing baggage is allowed on-board. As the infants require feeding and changing on a regular basis, the inclusion of a dedicated infant baggage allowance has been introduced by Sri Lankan Airlines. Along with this, the traveller can also carry strollers or baskets or pushchairs for the comfort of the infant as well as the parent.
Sri Lankan Airlines In-flight services
Sri Lankan Airlines only offers two class-cabins, business class and economy class. However, both the classes have been blessed with exemplary in-flight services and facilities that make for a comfortable transit. In business class, the airline offers a reclining seat that can be converted into full flat-beds and is present in all long-haul fleet. Along with the flat-bed, the airline has also installed AVOD (Audio Video on Demand) facilities to cater to the entertainment quotient for the passenger. The seats are as wide as 19.5 inches which can recline up to 180 degrees with a bed that sprawls over 79 inches. The suites also come with a 15-inch personal In-flight Entertainment (IFE) system. Much recently, they also revealed their news feature in business class, Thales Avant IFE, which brings forth modern entertainment features and better business class seats. The A330-300 fleet has all-aisle access with a configuration of 1-2-1 seating, reserved for business class. The A320 and A321 aircraft offer a 2-2 layout with extra reclining seats and a pitch that ranges from 39 to 49 inches.
For the economy class, the airline does provide some in-flight services such as in-seat entertainment, which is present on all their wide-body and narrow-body aircraft. On their A330-300 and A320/A321neo aircraft, the airline has provided all cabin classes with paid-for internet access as part of their in-flight services. This also includes mobile services and access to WiFi. The airline is also the first in South Asia to have on-board WiFi services available. Sri Lankan Airlines' receives its catering services from Srilankan Catering Limited. Its hub is present at Bandaranaike International Airport. The kitchen as the capacity to prepare over 25,000 meals in a day in their state-of-the-art kitchen facility. The catering service was incorporated in 1979 and initially commenced as a joint venture with Thai Airways International. However, as the venture agreement lapsed in 1998 with Air Lanka ltd buying all the shares of Thai Airways International, the entity became a Sri Lankan Airlines Limited's subsidiary.
Popular routes and top cities for Srilankan Airlines
As of 2020, Srilankan Airlines operates in 40 cities in about 20 countries. Some of the popular international routes that Srilankan Airlines caters to include India, China, Bangladesh, Hong Kong, Indonesia, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Australia, to name a few. Top cities include Sydney, Paris, Beijing, Berlin, Hong Kong, Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, Kochi, Tokyo, Muscat, Bangkok, Abu Dhabi, London and Seoul.
Why travel by Sri Lankan Airlines?
Sri Lankan Airlines is best connected to Indian cities as well as several the Middle East and Southeast Asian countries. Hence, booking a Sri Lankan Airlines flight to reach cities in these countries would be the ideal way to go. Not to mention how the airline's website is also very helpful and efficient as it helps conduct web check-in, know about the flight status and get an update on Sri Lankan Airlines' flight schedule. You can further enjoy some of Sri Lankan Airlines' exquisite in-flight services.
About Kuwait Airport
Kuwait International Airport is the main international airport which is located in Farwaniya, approximately 15 kilometres to the south of Kuwait City. The airport is sprawled over 37.7 square kilometres and serves as the primary hub for airlines such as Kuwait Airways and Jazeera Airways. Along with the airport's passenger facilities, there is a dedicated zone that has been designated to be the headquarters of Kuwait Air Force. It also comes with a Kuwait Air Force Museum. The airport complex, along with the passenger activities, is also designated to be under Abdullah Al-Mubarak Air Base.
About Airport Terminals
Kuwait International Airport supports five terminals out of which, one will be operational from 2022 while the others are already functioning. Terminal 1 is the primary building that is prevalent in the airport and caters to all departing and arriving flights. These do exclude those operated by airlines such as Kuwait Airways, flydubai, Jazeera Airways and Aegean Airlines. These airlines operate from different terminals. Terminal 1 has about 16 gates and houses necessary security checkpoints, restaurants, duty-free shops and four lounges. Terminal 2 is currently under construction and has been designed by Foster + Partners.
The new terminal is set to expand the total capacity of the airport by a whopping 13 million passengers annually. The terminal is also set to introduce a triangular building which would support 28 gates, 400-bed air-side hotels and 4,500 additional parking spaces. The construction of Terminal 2 began in 2017 and is slated to complete by 2022. Terminal 3 was originally called Sheikh Saad General Aviation Terminal. In fact, it has been created to be used for private aircraft. The building is comparatively small and has been exclusively assigned to airlines flydubai and Aegean Airlines.
Terminal 4 has been installed much recently and is recognized to be one of the biggest terminals in Kuwait International Airport. The terminal accommodates operations of Kuwait's national carrier, Kuwait Airlines. The beautiful terminal has been designed by the Spanish branch of the American firm AECOM and constructed by a consortium of Cengiz Insaat & First Kuwaiti Contractor. The terminal is located very close to the cargo-handling facility within the airport premise. It is spread out over an area of about 55,000 square meters. Terminal 4 has only five bus gates with nine boarding bridges gates. It can accommodate about eight planes at once.
The total passenger capacity of the airport is to accommodate 4.5 million passengers in a year and help reduce the congestion that is usually faced by Terminal 1. Additionally, the airport also has 2,450 car parking spaces along with a dedicated surface that is connected directly to the terminal building by a bridge. Terminal 5 is majorly used by Kuwait-based airline Jazeera Airways. The terminal is attached to Terminal building one but has its dedicated entrance and exit points, check-in counters, lounges, security checkpoints, customs, departure gates and arrival conveyor belts. Along with this, the terminal also has 350 parking spaces along with a multi-story facility that is connected by a bridge to Terminal 5.
About Airport Authority
Kuwait International Airport is owned by the Department of Civil Aviation and operated under Directorate General of Civil Aviation. The airport body is known to hold a plethora of responsibilities and is consistently been developing as well as innovating newer solutions to help generate a dynamic structure in the Middle East region. Thanks to the excellent air traffic, Kuwait's economy is seeing quite a jostling. With the expansions and infrastructural development, the airport is also able to accommodate about 25 million passengers. The average growth of the number of passengers as well as cargo traffic soars at an average of 10 per cent every year.
Top airlines flying from Kuwait International Airport
Kuwait sees tremendous airline traffic owing to its demand by other Middle Eastern cities and Southeast Asian cities. India, specifically, also has many flights that fly to Kuwait on a daily basis. Hence, Kuwait International Airport accommodates Indian airlines to operate from its terminals. Currently, the Indian airlines supported by Kuwait International Airport include Air India, Air India Express, GoAir and IndiGo. They majorly connect with Indian cities such as Kannur, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Mangalore, Chennai, Goa, Kochi, Kozhikode and Bagdogra.
Kuwait International Airport often serves for flight layovers as well as for connecting flights for international airlines. Many of the airlines have excellent connectivity with international cities such as London, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Jeddah, Istanbul, Cairo, Frankfurt, Muscat, New York City, Paris and more. Kuwait International Airport sees operations of flights from airlines such as Air Arabia, Air Arabia Egypt, Air Cairo, Biman Bangladesh Airlines, British Airways, EgyptAir, Emirates, Ethiopian Airlines, Etihad Airways, flydubai, Flynas, Gulf Air, Iran Air, Iraqi Airways, Jazeera Airways, Jordan Aviation, KLM, Kuwait Airways, Lufthansa, Oman Air, Pegasus Airlines, Qatar Airways, Royal Jordanian, Saudia, SriLankan Airlines and Turkish Airlines.
Facilities at Kuwait International Airport
Luggage - At Kuwait International Airport, the baggage services offered are aplenty. They range from wrapping services for the luggage, escorting the luggage for security checks and other such procedures. You can also store your luggage at the airport. Or ask the airlines to send the luggage at the desired destination so you wouldn't have to lug around the city with baggage.
Lounge - The airport does support a lounge that has been sponsored by Kuwait Airways. The lounge is available in the airport terminal. It is quite snazzy with exquisite modern facilities and is exclusive for first-class and business-class passengers as well as premium members.
Health centre - Medical rooms and services are also available at the airport. In order to combat medical emergencies, Kuwait International Airport has reserved rooms for the same. There are pharmacies also available in the premise that one can visit for last-minute medicine purchases. They usually have all the required pills and necessary medicinal drugs.
ATM and banks - To make transactions and transfers of money easy, the airport has installed ATM kiosks as well as local bank branches. You can also opt for currency exchange at the banks. They tend to give reasonable rates. In case you forgot to make your currencies exchanged, the airport is always considered as a perfect place which offers this service.
Travel office - Travel agencies have set up their offices at the airport to cater to the hotel booking needs of first-time travellers. They have all the brochures and travel packages that the passenger can avail, including accommodation deals. They are mostly present at the arrival section of the terminal. If hotel bookings haven't been made, they will help you with it.
Airport hotel - Kuwait International Airport also has a hotel within its premise to accommodate in-transit passengers. The hotel is located just 200 meters from the airport's main passenger terminal. There are about 200 rooms available at the airport's property which are perfectly equipped with amenities such as AC, three-layered windows, world-class decor, facilities and more. Even during peak season, the airport hotel manages to accommodate passengers. There are basic rooms as well as deluxe suites available. You can choose from these and book a room accordingly.
Restaurants and cafe - With world-class facilities come global cuisine that Kuwait International Airport glorifies. There are some top-notch restaurants and food establishments that can be found at the premise. This includes a dedicated food court as well. From mid-range establishments to upscale dining experience, you can find many options at the airport.
WiFi - The airport provides free WiFi that one can avail. You will need to speak with the airport staff and learn how to log in to the network to get a WiFi connection. Internet cafes are also available for passengers who need to get some work done.
Special assistance - Along with porter services, the airport also has provisions of wheelchairs and strollers that will help senior citizens, parents with kids as well as disabled travellers. All kinds of travel assistance can be found at the airport. However, it is necessary that you inform the airlines about the same so they can communicate it to the airport.
How to reach Kuwait International Airport
Bus
The airport is perfectly connected with public bus services that further network with other cities in Kuwait. The popular bus services, KPTC, KGL and CityBus, will directly reach you to the Kuwait International Airport. In fact, the local buses have scheduled times that would help you reach Kuwait International Airport from anywhere in the main city. The bus services also cater to long-distance travel and traverse through Saudi Arabia, provided you have a Saudi visa.
Airport taxis and car rentals
There are dedicated taxicabs that reach to the Kuwait International Airport and within the city. There are dedicated booths that are available outside the arrivals of the terminal where you can book your ride. Rental facilities are also available at the airport. You can book a rental and return it on your way back to the airport from the city.
