Kuwait City: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) announced that the 1,000-person cap placed on passengers arriving daily in Kuwait will be extended until the end of February, local media reported.
The decision came as the original deadline for the cap was supposed to end on February 6.
Not only did the decision enforce a cap on arrivals but also each flight entering Kuwait will not be allowed to carry only a maximum of 35 passengers. The decision affects everyone except domestic workers and transit passengers.
The extension of the decision is likely to do with the rise of COVID-19 cases in the country. Another reason is that many passengers have been presenting forged PCR tests before departing for Kuwait.
Although Kuwait airport is operating at a limited capacity, it is possible the government will decide to close the airport altogether, depending on the outcomes of the meeting to be held between the Ministry of Health and DGCA on Thursday.
Limited operation
On January 23, Kuwait announced it will be cutting the number of passengers arriving in the country so that there are no more than 1,000 people daily.
After the announcement, around 60,000 airline reservations were cancelled.
The announcement had serious repercussions not only on passengers but also on airlines as well, with some airlines cancelling scheduled flights due to the economic losses that come with operating a flight with only a limited number of passengers.
