Kuwait International Airport Is Open Today as Flights Resume, but Terminal 1 Remains Closed for Repairs

KUWAIT CITY — Kuwait International Airport is open and operating today, with the country’s two national carriers running scheduled flights even as one of the facility’s main terminals remains shut for repairs following months of conflict-related disruptions across the Gulf.

Kuwait Airways is currently flying out of Terminal 4, while Jazeera Airways operates from Terminal 5. Both carriers are maintaining largely normal schedules as the airport continues a gradual return to pre-crisis operations. Terminal 1, historically the airport’s primary international facility, remains closed indefinitely after sustaining serious structural damage, and authorities have not announced a firm date for its reopening.

The airport’s road back to normal service has been long and uneven. Kuwait’s airspace and its main airport were repeatedly disrupted this year by drone attacks tied to the broader conflict between the United States, Israel and Iran, part of a wider pattern of strikes on Gulf states hosting American military installations. All flights to and from Kuwait International Airport were suspended starting February 28, when the government ordered a precautionary closure of its airspace amid the escalating regional crisis. Jazeera Airways temporarily diverted its operations to Qaisumah International Airport in Saudi Arabia, roughly two and a half hours from Kuwait City by road, for the duration of the shutdown.

Kuwait’s airspace reopened in the evening of April 23, with the state-run Kuna news agency reporting that flights would resume gradually, beginning with Terminals 4 and 5 serving selected destinations starting that Sunday. Sheikh Hamoud Mubarak Al Sabah, chairman of Kuwait’s General Civil Aviation Authority, said at the time that the decision had been coordinated with relevant domestic and international authorities to ensure operations resumed in line with the highest safety and security standards. He also credited Saudi Arabia’s support in accommodating Kuwaiti carriers during the closure and pointed to coordination among Gulf Cooperation Council states in maintaining regional air traffic continuity throughout the crisis.

Kuwait Airways and Jazeera Airways formally restarted operations on April 26, running flights out of Terminals 4 and 5 while Terminal 1 remained shuttered. That phased approach allowed the airport to rebuild capacity gradually rather than resuming full service all at once, with airlines restoring routes and frequencies over subsequent weeks as conditions stabilized.

Terminal 1 briefly reopened to international traffic on June 1, allowing several non-Kuwaiti carriers to resume service there for the first time in months. That reopening proved short-lived. On June 3, the terminal suffered further and more severe damage during renewed drone and missile strikes, with parts of the building experiencing a partial roof collapse and additional structural damage that left it unsafe for passenger operations. There were no reported casualties from the attacks on the airport, though the strikes did damage infrastructure including radar equipment used to manage air traffic. Terminal 1 has remained closed since the June 3 strike, with no confirmed timeline for repairs or reopening.

Despite the setback at Terminal 1, the airport’s broader recovery has continued to move forward. Terminals 4 and 5 have remained fully operational throughout, with Kuwait Airways now serving 29 destinations from Terminal 4 and Jazeera Airways serving 27 from Terminal 5, according to recent airport data. Foreign carriers that typically operate through the affected terminal have also been returning in stages. Emirates resumed Kuwait service in May and was operating up to five daily flights by late that month. Oman Air confirmed it restarted flights to Kuwait on June 25, temporarily routing its service through Terminal 4 rather than its usual home at Terminal 1.

The broader security picture in the region has also shifted. Officials and regional reporting describe the situation as moving from an initial ceasefire toward a more durable peace following the conflict between the United States, Israel and Iran, a development that has underpinned the steady resumption of commercial aviation across the Gulf. A brief, precautionary airspace closure imposed during the height of tensions has long since been lifted, and Kuwait’s skies have remained open to commercial traffic since the April reopening.

Even so, officials and aviation trackers caution that operations have not yet returned to their full pre-conflict scale. Terminal 1’s continued closure means the airport is still functioning below its normal capacity, and airlines are continuing to rebuild networks and frequencies that were disrupted during the months-long suspension. Flight-status data reviewed in recent days shows both arrivals and departures moving through the airport on a daily basis, though some routes have been listed as delayed or canceled as schedules continue to normalize.

Kuwait International Airport is also in the midst of a separate, long-planned expansion. A new Terminal 2 is under construction and is targeted to open in late 2026, a project unrelated to the conflict-driven closures but one that officials say will eventually add significant capacity once complete. Terminal 3, meanwhile, remains permanently closed and is not part of current operational planning.

For now, authorities and airlines are urging travelers to confirm individual flight status directly with their carriers before heading to the airport, noting that schedules can still shift as the recovery continues. Passengers with existing bookings affected by earlier disruptions have been advised to contact their airlines for rebooking, refunds or rerouting options. Travelers are also being encouraged to check their home government’s latest travel guidance for Kuwait, as advisories continue to be updated alongside the improving security situation.

Airport officials have not indicated when Terminal 1 might reopen, saying only that repair work is ongoing. Until then, Kuwait International Airport’s operations will continue to run through Terminals 4 and 5, with additional foreign carriers expected to resume service in the coming weeks as the country’s aviation sector works to fully recover from one of the most disruptive periods in its history.