KUWAIT’S first budget airline, Al Jazeera Airways, may not get off the ground for another six months after seeing a deal to lease its initial aircraft fall through.
The privately-owned firm, which originally intended to start flights in February, is searching for two new planes after being told by its partner that their delivery had been cancelled. Al Jazeera may now delay its launch until October, when two new A320 jets it has bought from manufacturer, Airbus, will be ready.
“We had an agreement with a European carrier, but unfortunately they had some technical problems and couldn’t deliver,” said Suhail Homsi, director, Al Jazeera. “We are considering some options, but summer time is approaching in Europe and it’s not as easy [to find planes] as a few months ago. Alternatively, our first delivery from Airbus will be in October – that’s the worst-case scenario.”