Kuwait Airways, the national airline of Kuwait, has received its first two Airbus A330-800 aircraft, out of eight aircraft ordered.

The two aircraft join the company’s current fleet of Airbus aircraft consisting of 15 aircraft, including seven A320ceo, three A320neo and five A330ceo aircraft.

“Kuwait Airways takes pride in its continued relationship and cooperation with Airbus for the past four decades,” said  Captain Ali Mohammad Al-Dukhan, Kuwait Airways Chairman .

“The delivery of the first two A330neos is yet another significant milestone for Kuwait Airways as we progress towards our goals and implementation of our fleet development strategy […] The introduction of the A330neos to our expanding fleet strengthens Kuwait Airways’ position as a prominent airline in both the regional and global aviation sector,” said Al-Dukhan. “As we are continuously reviewing our passenger requirements to provide excellent services, combined with comfort and safety during each flight, the arrival of the A330neos commences a new phase in the services we provide to our passengers on board, in addition to efficient and comfortable air transport services with Kuwait Airways.”

The delivery is the first for the A330-800, as the new-generation widebody aircraft is the most recent in Airbus’ production lines. The A330neo, according to Airbus, is also the ideal aircraft to operate during the post-COVID-19 pandemic phase, with its average capacity and operational flexibility.

“The A330neo is the right aircraft for Kuwait Airways in these challenging times. This unique product is spot-on with Kuwait Airways’ ambition to expand its network in the most efficient and versatile way,” said Christian Scherer, Airbus Chief Commercial Officer. “With its Airspace best-in-class cabin comfort, the aircraft will quickly become a passengers’ favourite. Thanks to its high level of commonality and cost advantages, the A330neo will easily and efficiently integrate into Kuwait Airways’ current fleet of A320s, A330s and its future fleet of A350s” Scherer added.

The Kuwait Airways A330neo can accommodate 235 passengers and has 32 seats that can be converted into flat beds in business class and 203 comfortable seats in economy class. It also provides a spacious cargo cabin capable of accommodating large quantities of passengers’ luggage.

The A330neo is a completely new generation aircraft, developed based on the specifications of the popular A330 and featuring the technology of the A350. The aircraft is propelled by two Rolls-Royce Trent 7000 engines, and new wider wing with increased span and A350 XWB-inspired Sharklets, providing unprecedented levels of efficiency with 25% less fuel consumption per seat than previous generations of competitors.

It is worth mentioning that Airbus had issues selling the A330-800neo. So far, there have only been 14 orders for the aircraft compared to 323 orders for the bigger A330-900neo. A possible reason for this discrepancy is that the A330-900neo can carry more passengers and airlines don’t need the range improvements of the A330-800neo.