Kuwaiti discount carrier Jazeera Airways has delayed a planned expansion into long-haul flights to focus on extending its existing network to serve the Indian subcontinent.
Jazeera, which has previously been limited to operations within the Middle East, this month is to start flights to Hyderabad, India, and Lahore, Pakistan, before adding Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai later in the fourth quarter, chairman Marwan Boodai said in an interview.
Boodai had in February said that Jazeera aimed to commence inter-continental services this year once it had secured an alliance with a major airline in Europe or Asia.
While that plan remains “alive,” it will not happen this year after the carrier reset its priorities in light of surging short-haul demand, he said.
“The opportunity on the Indian subcontinent was so overwhelming we had to redirect our resources to that,” Boodai said on Monday in Kuwait before unveiling a new livery and interior makeover reflecting a rebranding launched in July.
The flights are targeting the more than 900,000 Indian nationals residing in Kuwait, he said.
Jazeera plans to acquire two more aircraft by the end of the year to expand its fleet of seven Airbus SE A320s, Boodai said, adding that he regards the jetliner market as overpriced and that for the moment all purchases would be confined to spot deals, with no larger orders.
Expanding into long-haul flights would require Jazeera to further build up its regional network and would also have to wait until the completion of a new terminal to be used by the carrier at Kuwait International Airport, scheduled for the first quarter of next year, he said.
The company has not yet settled on a partner, although it has identified more than one candidate, Boodai said.
Long-haul flights could generate US$300 million in sales within two years and US$500 million within five years, according to company estimates.
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