Private Kuwaiti airline Wataniya Airways has temporarily suspended all operations for a second time in its history, citing "unexpected circumstances" which could not be avoided, said a report.

The airline, which resumed operations in 2017 after a six-year hiatus, faced a major problem when three planes of its fleet went out of service, leaving only one plane available for commercial operation, reported state news agency Kuna.

"Of the four aircraft in operation, one Airbus 320 had a failure in one of its engines and a replacement could not be found, while two others left service after the carrier ended its wet-lease contract with Olympus Airways over objections by Kuwait’s civil aviation authority - the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)," the report said, citing airline Board Chairman Ali Al- Fozan who spoke during a press conference in Kuwait.

These factors, he added, slashed operations by 50 per cent.

Wataniya was expecting to add two additional aircraft last month and bring its fleet to six, he said.

"Wataniya could not operate with one plane, so we decided to suspend operations temporarily until the return of the second plane," he said during the conference.

Wataniya and DGCA are currently in discussions about compensation for passengers whose flights were delayed or cancelled, the report said.