Omicron forced Kuwaitis to alter NY travel plans
Egypt, India replace UK, Turkey
KUWAIT CITY, Jan 4: According to official figures issued by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the total number of passengers who traveled through Kuwait International Airport to spend the New Year holidays was 182,400 during the period from December 24, 2021 to December 31, 2021. This includes about 100,000 passengers leaving the country, and 82,000 passengers returning to Kuwait, reports Al-Anba daily. The number of destinations of those traveling through Kuwait International Airport during the mentioned period was 34. They were taken on 1,670 flights by 40 air carriers, including 837 flights that arrived in Kuwait, and 833 flights that departed.
Remarkable
It was remarkable that the interests related to travel changed during the current season. The tourist destinations that citizens are accustomed to did not top the list of the most traveled destinations. This is mainly due to the new COVID-19 mutations, especially Omicron, which changed many citizens’ plans to travel. The demand for travel to London and Turkey were at the bottom of the list of the most requested destinations. On the other hand, the most preferred destinations by residents were India and Egypt. In detail, six countries accounted for the majority of passenger traffic through Kuwait International Airport during the New Year holiday travel season. About 128,670 passengers traveled to and from these countries, making up 71 percent of the total passengers traveling through Kuwait International Airport during the period from December 24 to 31, 2021. India topped the list of the destinations with highest demand for travel. A total of 34,034 passengers traveled to and from India on 292 flights by six air operators, with 18,097 passengers leaving Kuwait on 143 flights to India, and about 15,036 passengers arriving in the country on 149 flights from India.
Ranked
Egypt ranked second among the destinations in highest demand for travel, with a total of 26,008 passengers who traveled to Egypt on 193 flights by eight air operators. This includes 13,050 passengers who departed to Egypt on 96 flights, and about 13,003 passengers arrived from Egypt on 97 incoming flights. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia ranked third among the destinations with the highest demand for travel, with a total of 24.4 thousand passengers who traveled on 265 flights by six air operators. The United Arab Emirates ranked fourth with a total of 20.4 thousand passengers who traveled on 212 flights by seven air operators, followed by Turkey with a total of 17.39 thousand passengers who traveled on 127 flights by four air operators. The United Kingdom was the sixth most preferred destination for travel, with a total of 5.29 thousand passengers who traveled on 37 flights by three air operators. About 2.37 thousand passengers departed to the UK on 19 flights, and 2.91 thousand passengers arrived from the UK on 18 incoming flights to Kuwait International Airport.
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