Jazeera Airways, Kuwait’s low-cost airline, reported a 10.3% year-on-year decline in net profit to KD8.6 million ($28 million) for the first half of 2026, as higher fuel costs and reduced operating capacity weighed on results despite stronger yields and resilient travel demand.

The temporary closure of Kuwait International Airport from February 28, followed by continued operational restrictions, disrupted the airline’s network and constrained capacity.

In response, Jazeera launched Mission Barakah on March 11, operating alternative services through Saudi Arabia to maintain Kuwait’s connectivity before fully resuming operations from Terminal 5 on May 3.

Despite the challenges, operating revenue rose 13.4% year-on-year to KD115.8 million, supported by strong customer demand, improved yields and a rebound in travel during the second quarter.

Holiday and Hajj demand contributed to the recovery, while Jazeera maintained a 35.9% market share.

During H1, the airline operated 11,106 sectors, offered 1.9 million seats and carried 1.5 million passengers.

Passenger numbers declined 32.3% year-on-year, but the load factor improved 3.6 percentage points to 79.1%.

Second-quarter performance was particularly strong, with operating revenue surging 45.5% to KD70.7 million and profit after tax nearly doubling to KD9.6 million, up 99.2%.

The airline carried 607,000 passengers, while its load factor increased to 76.5%.

Jazeera said its operational response included deploying 14 aircraft and more than 500 employees, coordinating over 9,000 cross-border bus movements and facilitating more than 1,500 flights carrying over 200,000 passengers.

Temporary hubs across Saudi Arabia and Egypt supported connectivity and Hajj operations.

The airline also expanded its network with new services to Milan Bergamo and Aleppo and completed a fleet-wide lightweight seat retrofit, increasing capacity to 180 seats per aircraft.

Looking ahead, Jazeera said it remains focused on network expansion, commercial partnerships, digital innovation and cost efficiency as it navigates continued operational constraints and seeks to capitalise on improving market conditions.

Marwan Boodai, Chairman of Jazeera Airways, said: "The first half of 2026 presented one of the most significant challenges in Jazeera Airways' history. The temporary closure of Kuwait International Airport tested the resilience of our business, but it also demonstrated the strength of our people, our operating model and our ability to respond with speed and agility.”

Boodai, added: “While profitability in the first half of 2026 was impacted by significantly higher fuel costs and reduced operating capacity during the period, we delivered 13.4% revenue growth year-on-year, reflecting resilient customer demand, and disciplined commercial execution. Through Mission Barakah, we ensured Kuwait remained connected to the world during an unprecedented period of disruption while positioning the business for continued resilience in the second half of the year.”

He concluded: “As we continue operating in a constrained environment, we remain focused on executing our long-term strategy by investing in our network, our people and customer experience, while maintaining financial discipline and creating sustainable long-term value for our shareholders."-TradeArabia News Service