KUWAIT: An artist's rendition for the new Terminal Four (T4) at Kuwait International Airport. - KUNA

KUWAIT: Kuwait Airways has refuted news reports alleging that it had received directives from Saudi authorities to ban Qatari passengers from boarding its planes to perform Umrah (Lesser pilgrimage). Kuwait Airways Chairman Yousef Al-Jasem said in a press statement that the Kuwaiti national carrier has never received a request from the Saudi authorities to ban Qatari passengers from using the company's aircraft to perform Umrah. However, it has received a request calling to permit Qatari passengers to board the company's planes without a prior consent, he confirmed. The Saudi authorities have designated King Abdulaziz airport in Jeddah and Prince Mohammad bin Abdulziz airport in Medina to receive the Qatari passengers wishing to perform Umrah.

In other news, His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah Saturday commended authorities and workers for exerting efforts to complete and operate Kuwait International Airport's Terminal Four (T4), which is due to open next month. Minister of State for Housing and Minister of State for Services Jenan Bushehri quoted His Highness the Prime Minister as saying during a visit to T4 to get acquainted with preparations to complete the new facility, to be used by Kuwait Airways. His Highness the Prime Minister also commended efforts of all authorities and workers to modernize infrastructure of air transport and cargo sector in Kuwait Airport, honoring His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah's 2035 New Kuwait vision that is aimed at transforming Kuwait into a financial and trade hub.

His Highness Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak also met Kuwaiti engineers and supervisors of T4, who emphasized the project was executed according to schedule, said Bushehri. The minister thanked His Highness the Prime Minister for his overwhelming support for the completion of T4. She noted that Terminal 2 was due to be open in 2020. She thanked the General Directorate for Civil Aviation, Kuwait Fire Directorate, Ministry of Interior and General Custom Department for contributing to improvement of air transport sector. His Highness the Prime Minister was received upon his arrival by Bushehri and Civil Aviation President Sheikh Salman Al-Sabah.

Terminal 4, which contains 14 gates, aims at reducing the traffic on the current terminal. The $ 127.6 million project is designed to contain 4.5 million passengers per year, and is expected to augment the existing terminal, which has been operating beyond capacity for years, until the under-construction Terminal 2 becomes operational in 2020. The $4.3 billion Terminal 2 has a design capacity of 25 million passengers annually.