Did Kuwait Airways just scrap an entire flight service to avoid carrying Israeli passengers?
The airline has this week pulled its connection between New York’s JFK airport and London Heathrow after U.S. authorities threatened legal action over alleged discrimination.
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) in September warned the Kuwaiti carrier that it had “unlawfully discriminated” against a passenger using an Israeli passport by refusing to sell him a ticket.
It sent a letter giving the airline 15 days to outline how it would in the future comply with anti-discrimination laws.
Kuwait Airways response, according to the DOT, appears to have been to drop its London-New York route. [Source]
I guess that’s a quick easy fix.
43 replies on “Kuwait Airways scraps London-New York flight”
Ray Charles and Stevie Wonder saw that coming.
Would be interesting if an Israeli quickly books a Frankfurt to Paris trip now on Kuwaut Airways. 🙂
they have a Frankfurt – Paris route? how random
I once booked a ticket from Paris to Kuwait, and I didn’t find out that my plane had a stop in Frankfurt until I reached the boarding area (I was expecting a direct flight since it was Kuwait airways). You get to stay in the plane, they don’t make you leave. Kuwait airways always finds a way to surprise me 😛 but I think they are getting better. Baby steps.
It’s cheaper for the airways for clients to stay in the plane. For each person that leave a plane they’ve got to pay the airport.
They also have to pay for simply keeping a plane on the tarmac though
I’m sure they’re already lining up just to make a point.
Their site clearly mentions they don’t sell tickets to Israelis at some point through the process of booking a ticket. I don’t think someone would be able to do that.
You can clearly mention your intention to break local laws, but that doesn’t mean it still not illegal.
Why can’t you just let the bloody man ride the plane? Kuwait wants to be a financial hub and yet they don’t want Israelis or Jews which just can’t work since some of the most important people in the global economy are jewish one of them being janet yellen (the chairwoman of Federal Reserve Board of Governors) and thats just off the top of my head.
It is my understanding that KU was not banning Jews, just Israelis.
im not actually sure about Kuwait airways but kuwait bans jews and if kuwait bans Israelis then kuwait airways bans them, so I’m guessing its the same for jews.
Yup Matt is correct, but I think u meant KA not KU.
i stand corrected.
The IATA Code for Kuwait Airways is KU.
KA is Dragon Air out of Hong Kong.
Really? I didn’t know that
Think Flight Numbers.
There’s a difference…
People that are Jewish are flying on all airlines and are even in Kuwait and working and all around the arab world!
This case is specifically for people holding an actual Israeli passport, and I believe this rule applies on all Gulf and arab airlines no?
Kuwait is in the spotlight just because this specific passenger went ahead and complained (although they should be reasonable and know that Arab countries have these rules)
>Kuwait is in the spotlight just because this specific passenger went ahead and complained (although they should be reasonable and know that Arab countries have these rules)
Who should be reasonable?
The passenger…There’s hundreds of budget flights that fly between NY and London if that’s what he was going after, don’t go picking an Arabic airline knowing the history and sensitivities and then be surprised!
Once you start to legislate “sensitivities”, where do you stop? I think the airline made the right call. They were in a no-win situation.
There is no such “rule” on all Gulf and Arab airlines. Stop making stuff up.
If you are operating in the US, you have to abide by US rules – which prohibit discrimination.
That’s all that happened here.
Thanks Burhan,
I’m not ‘making stuff up’, I wasn’t sure that’s why my comment about the rule of the rest of the airlines came as a question!
I agree with you, but my whole point is simply about the perspective of the passenger him or herself, as an Israeli passport holder, you should just know to avoid an arab airline….as an Arab I wouldn’t think of booking on an El Al (Israeli airline) flight and then complain about any negative consequence.
If El Al refused to sell you a ticket, the same rules would apply…providing you could legally enter the country that you were arriving in.
Yes there is, many gulf countries do not recognize Israel at all.
👏
meanwhile , in other news:KU is rescheduling flights according to its new business strategy.
https://www.arabtimesonline.com/news/kuwait-airways-reschedules-flights-according-to-new-business-strategy/
Wonder if they can still fly the route but not open the reservation for it; this way, and in case their JFK-Kuwait flights have space, they can still cater to the London-Kuwait passengers and vice versa (not sure if the rules permit that). Glad though that they still have their direct flights to and from JFK.
The segment they cannot fly is London – NY, they are still flying without issues direct from NY to Kuwait.
You are right though, they could offer NY – London with Kuwait as a transit point; but that wouldn’t make much economic sense.
However, if anyone is wanting to travel to India (a popular routing for Kuwait Airway) and happens to be an Israeli citizen; then we’ll be back in this situation again.
i honestly hope that happens…what will they do then? stop one flight at a time? when will they get some sense kicked in their head and realise they live in the 21st century?
Absolutely shameful,Kuwait is supposed to be more progressive due to our democratic institutions and yet we are more intolerant than most authoritarian regimes in the Middle East.
I hope more Israelis would stand up to this shameful racism and continue to test Kuwait airways. I know for a fact that the ruling elite are rational they just need to stop succumbing to pressure from the idiotic religious nut jobs in Kuwait.
This is not a religious issue, Kuwait as a country does not recognize Israel as a country. Allowing them to fly Kuwait Airways means the government is recognizing them as a legitimate country.
Way to go Kuwait… I am very proud of you! We should keep our values and focus on them!
Not sure sarcastic or really proud.
Sarcastic I hope..
I wonder if “Israel’s” El Al would allow a Kuwaiti citizen to board any of their flight.( e.g. London to Johannesburg)
If not someone should try and if they are refused boarding they should go get that media attention like that sneaky “Israeli” snake and complain or/and file a lawsuit.
Obviously, when it comes to “Israel” everyone has to bend down.
El Al does not bar any nationality from buying a ticket or boarding a flight providing they have a valid visa for the arrival country. I had initially thought the same as you did, until I checked.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/palestinians-call-greek-action-israel-plane-apartheid-202143432.html
As a non muslim am I allowed to visit Mecca or Medina?
I think they just didnt give him the ticket because they do not recognize Israel as a country hence his passport is invalid….
This here is the issue and KAC does not make the rules.
And the winner of another facepalm goes to our ever tolerant and loving brothers and sisters in Kuwait.