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Last month Kuwait Airways started receiving their first batch of leased planes and alongside these planes, Kuwait Airways have also gone ahead and given their premium class checking area a facelift as well as the Dasman Lounge.
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In the first video on top we get to the see the business class and economy class of the new planes as well as a tour of the new media system. In the second video we get taken on a tour of the new check in area followed by a tour of the lounge. Both the plane interiors and the lounge look outdated to me but I guess its better than what we had.
35 replies on “Inside the New Kuwait Airways Planes and Airport Lounge”
Business class does not seem like a business class… Outdated interior as you stated.
I wont be surprised if KAC files a defamation case against you for your negative comments !
Good Luck !
Not to forget KOC sponsored the lounge !
you are inviting trouble buddy !
Do you know what defamation is? https://dictionary.reference.com/browse/defamation
mark i downloaded your app on my phone……. how do search or go back to previous post? its been like that for a long time
you can’t, the app pulls in data from the rss feed and thats limited i think to 15 posts. i’m sorry the app is outdated 🙁
Is there any possible way to please anyone as soon as the “Kuwait Airways” name pops up? I am by no means a KU fanboy – I’ve always been one of its biggest critics – but after all these years of ineptitude and careening backwards, change is ACTUALLY HAPPENING.
In my opinion, the refurbishment to the first/business class check-in area is nicely done. In no way is it mind-blowing but it’s fresh, clean and more upscale than the older space. The metal screens and check-in desks with the illuminated onyx panels and backlit logos adds a lot of class and I think it’s simple but effective.
The renovations to the Dasman Lounge are much more dramatic than the previous lounge. The green touches are vibrant, the furniture is modern and the entire space just looks great; I like that the Kuwait Oil Company got involved with the project and added their name to it to assert the quality of it all. Seeing that our entire airport building is currently outdated and the renovations to it have been less than stellar, it’s refreshing to see something tasteful happening.
The planes: this has been said millions of times before but THESE PLANES ARE LEASED. In translation: KUWAIT AIRWAYS DOES NOT OWN THEM and therefore they are only allowed a certain degree of customization within the aircraft. While the on-board decoration, again, isn’t something out of the ordinary and is by no means innovative, the seats look better than some of the “first class” seats on their current fleet and it’s already a massive improvement on the current product. Even their in-flight safety video – which still uses animated characters when I wish they’d gone a little more contemporary – is different and is now on par with something you’d see on Oman Air or one of the other regional carriers as opposed the current one which is well over ten years old.
All in all, these changes are GRADUAL but they should seriously be welcomed. Kuwait International Airport is an old facility operating at well over capacity but the new terminal, if it’s ever built, should fix that problem and give us a fresh start to really nail the airport design and reconfigure the old terminal when some traffic shifts to the new building. As for the planes, Kuwait Airways is getting its first new [owned] planes in November 2016 when the first of ten Boeing 777s arrive, not to mention the 25 new Airbus aircraft coming in 2019. I have no doubt in my mind that the interior design of those planes will be much more luxurious and implemented to a much higher standard.
I have a feeling that I’m going to get flamed for my optimism, but I really think it’s time that we start looking at the glass as half-full rather than a half-assed attempt to put lipstick on a pig.
Finally someone with a bit of sense! I dont know what kind of dramatic change people were expecting to see with the current terminal they have to work with and a leased interim fleet!
Change is gradual and takes time! I feel like had we gotten first class suites on a regional plane like the A320’s they are currently receiving people would still be complaining that their not on par with the emirates A380 suites.
Change is gradual and it takes time when its inline with other airlines, not 20 years behind. it’s a catching up game and thus far, very slow!
Do you understand how Kuwait’s political system works?
You can’t solely blame the government, did you people forget the Kuwaiti people and the MPs they elect
Many people here don’t seem to understand how Kuwait’s political system works
Kuwait is not an autocracy/dictatorship
Yes, we do understand how Kuwait’s political scene operates. we are saying that from a business perspective it’s not working! Not being an autocracy or a dictatorship should create flourishing economies, not the other way around.
Most governments, parliaments etc have sub comities that are perfectly eligible to seek professional opinion. But then again, i mentioned ” a culture shift in business” and to be more transparent, ease up the arrogance level and seek professional opinion.
The worlds greatest economies do so to progress, i don’t see a reason why it cannot happen here.
Khaled: I must disagree with you, rented planes are highly customizable! The problem is not technical, it’s the arbitrary selection – decision making process which is pretty much the problem across all sectors in Kuwait.
look at other markets, they hire international consultants to put a system in place….no one is saying hire them to replace the local workforce, but think of it that way; what experience or success stories did the KAC staff do in the last 30 years to make them qualified to take such decisions today! That alone tells u in advance that it will take a miracle to have a desirable outcome if its the same people placing the orders.
i wouldn’t be surprised that the bought batch of planes wont be as “luxurious” as u imagine it to be, though it’s a lot more than luxury an airline interior is all about, it’s actually a unique set of standards that enables them to compete…. all airlines are Airbus and Boeing, but not all airlines are the same! no?
i am not trying to curb your enthusiasm, but a culture shift in business is very much needed around here……
>what experience or success stories did the KAC staff do in the last 30 years to make them qualified to take such decisions today!
Can’t really say this as the management was changed recently.
https://www.arabtimesonline.com/NewsDetails/tabid/96/smid/414/ArticleID/201833/reftab/96/t/Rasha-Al-Roumi-takes-Kuwait-Airways-chair/Default.aspx
The question to be asked is what experience does the current management have in the aviation industry.
I agree, arbitrary hiring also! what would it cost KAC today to go snatch someone senior from any of the global airlines just to come, put a base, put a strategic plan, train successors and leave? It’s sad, while everyone is anticipating a comeback for KAC, it’s becoming more obvious that it will only be a facelift, new planes and full stop.
let’s hope when and if it becomes privatized it doesn’t fall in the hands of merchants rather than corporation with some business acumen.
The problem isn’t decision making. You really don’t understand how Kuwait’s political system works
KAC was very successful in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s and back then the management was LOCAL and all the key players were locals.
The Gulf War wrecked KAC and constant fighting between parliament and government hindered KAC reforms and modernization. Everything was stalled, there was a political crisis and turmoil for the past 20 years
You really don’t understand how Kuwait’s political system works
Yes, 60’s, 70’s & 80’s was an airline boom for everyone and nothing much to compete on and the local workforce had a vision Sir.
It’s the same period when u had highly skilled foreigners welcomed in, information workers that contributed in almost every sector. it was an open economy to accelerate progress not a hot items for MP’s to use as part of the campaigning against domestic workforce.
Though i would argue that it was a good mix of aspiring local’s and good technical hires coming from everywhere, which is what also made it work. now, 30 years later, its the same people doing the same thing over and over again while the world has progressed dramatically, so they didn’t cope with the change, the evidence is the topic of today.
Last, i repeat, i do understand the local political scene and it’s implication on progress, all i am saying is that its not working anymore.
Whats up with the godfather music in the video, reminds me of Al Pacino dropping dead from the chair.The whole music in the first video makes it feel old.
anyone know where the new planes are operating? might be worth giving them a try if they cover the london to kuwait route.
Airbus 320 is short/medium haul aircraft
most airlines (including Qatar n Etihad) have a similar layout for their Business n Economy class on board A320.
agreed the KU product being offered is not class leading but its on par with the other regional airlines operating similar aircrafts.
their wide body aircrafts B777 and A350 to be delivered in 2016 and 2019 respectively will probably have the seats which you all are hoping for.
the A320s and A330s that KU will be operating meanwhile are aircrafts on lease and minimal changes are permitted by the aircraft manufacturer.
I really hope you guys cut some slack to KU and actually give it a chance to improve 🙂
https://www.arabianaerospace.aero/qatar-airways-upgrades-select-airbus-a330-200-and-a320-business-class-seats.html
Both airlines you mentioned are upgrading their seating standards. So when KAC ordered those rentals, they leased an almost outdated standards.
“The enhanced A320 aircraft will operate on the Vienna, Tunis, Milan, Rome, Geneva and Maldives routes while the upgraded A330s will operate on the Barcelona, Osaka, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur and Phuket routes.”
the regional routes will still be served with the same old business class seats ..
KU is mostly operating the new A320’s on the regional and SASC sectors ..
So now they look like a standard airline as opposed to an abandoned bus from a zombie apocalypse movie …. improvement is improvement I suppose …. no matter how underwhelming ……
New things are great, but it will all be worthless if it’s not maintained properly.
They actually have a good maintenance / engineering teams in place, not to mention the pilots also. The problem is management and vision…..
Al-Roumi are known as very good merchants, the management has a vision
Good merchants you say, what kind of experience do they have in aviation?
Is al Roumi a political / public hire or a technical one? the 1st is general profile of leadership, the later is someone with extensive airline experience that has the skills, know-how and tools to make the business work! which at this stage, i believe u need someone to pick up KAC from it’s deteriorating situation.
Also…..Alghanim, Al Shayaa and many others are also great merchants, but look at their organizational structure and human capital! they don’t hire because of their nationally rather experience and value they could bring to make the business successful, which is for all Kuwait!
For instance, do u know that Alghanim industries has a management program in place for years that hires MBA professionals from world renowned institutions (Harvard, Yale, Insead etc) also staff coming from tier 1 companies such as Booz & Co etc to run the business!
This is business savvy decisions and this is why you have QA, Emirates, Ettihad and others while KAC is celebrating the arrival of 1 rented plane in 2015!! They are all public funded, the difference is the experience of those managing it.
I beg to differ on the “good maintenance/engineering team.”
Excuse me, but keeping an ageing fleet functioning and air worthy without any major incident is something you would write off as dumb luck then?
I have never been on a KAC flight in which one or more of the following did not occur:
1) Excessive oil leaking from the engine nacelle.
2) Out of tolerance leaks on the LG struts.
3) No audio and/or video on the entertainment system.
4) The seat would either fail to recline or fail to lock upright.
5) No water from the sink in the lav.
and that’s just what I can see…
The Lounge looks like the toilet in 360 mall.
and 360 looks like a bowl of chinese ceramic tiles and inbred moguls
Business class was excellent for A320 product even the service you get for a short route is extremely generous, Legroom and seat width among the most spacious, The Launge is beautiful and quieter than beffore with more seating area and even more food variety plus super fast WIFI, More specious showers and bigger toilets. Very much satisfied with new products, Waiting for more planes to come, Happy Ku is returning strong.
I think Kuwait Airways should sue people who are deliberately utilizing social media to distroy its image in public eyes.
Suing is too strong a reaction; people here just seem to be too trigger-happy when they see KU in the headlines and just want to bash the crap out of it. I fully believe that everyone is free to have their own opinions without being chastized for them but being negative for the sake of being negative is pathetic. The way things are going, KU could install the same first-class suites you see on Emirates A380 and people would still say “Oh look, it’s Kuwait Airways = broken seats/bad infotainment/sh_tty service.” No way to please these crowds.
This is just the start of the fleet’s renaissance so things might be slow but I have faith, something everyone needs to have. Criticism is fair when it’s due and KU has had its share of indiscretions, but they deserve credit for their maintenance and crew training; anyone that can keep these old birds in the air is doing something right and KU’s pilots are among the best trained in the industry.
Stay positive!
Kuwait airways is one of my favorite airlines and yes some planes are outdated however these videos show a320s not 777 or 747. These planes travel 1,900 nm. I woudon’t expect this airline to waste it’s money on flat beds on the plane for a 3-6 hour flight.