COVID-19: Kuwait halts flights from 31 countries over coronavirus

Cairo: Kuwaiti civil aviation authorities said it decided to suspend flights as of Saturday from 31 “high-risk” countries due to the new coronavirus.

Those countries comprise India, Pakistan, Egypt, and the Philippines that have large communities of expatriates in Kuwait.

Other countries on the list include Iran, China, Bangladesh, Brazil, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Spain, Italy, Mexico, Singapore, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Serbia, Montenegro, Peru, Moldova, Singapore, Hong Kong, Panama, Chile and the Dominican Republic.

The flight suspension, in effect for further notice, was made on instruction from the health authorities, Kuwait’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation said.

The Kuwait International Airport reopened Saturday for commercial flights after suspension of over four months, at 30 per cent of its normal capacity as part of a three-phase operation plan. The first phase lasts for six months.