Kuwait International Airport

KWI originated in 1927 as a stop for British aircraft on their way to what at the time was British India. The airport, as it is currently constructed, originated in 1979 with a design by Kenzo Tange. The airport was renovated and expanded from 1999 to 2001. As part of the construction project, the old parking lot was cleared to construct the terminal’s expansion, including new check-in areas, a new airport entrance, an airport mall, and a new multi-story parking structure. In 2008, a new general aviation terminal was completed, and Royal Aviation operates it. It was further enhanced with the construction of the Sheikh Saad General Aviation Terminal, which was also intended to handle the scheduled services of Wataniya Airways. In 2011, a plan was announced for a new Foster + Partners designed terminal, which would increase the annual passenger capacity to 14 million passengers per year (with the option to expand to 25 million passengers). The design called for a three-pointed star, each point extending 600 meters from the center and including two airside hotels. While construction was slated to begin in 2012 and conclude in 2016, the project faced delays, and the ground was only broken on May 9th, 2017, with completion expected in six and a half years. The following year Jazeera Airways launched its terminal at KWI, Terminal 5. Adjacent to and connected to the main terminal, it features its own arrival/departure areas, customs, and everything else that it might need to function independently, thereby helping to alleviate congestion at the main terminal. On August 4th of that same year, another terminal, dubbed Terminal 4, was launched to benefit Kuwait Airways, the nation’s carrier. It is capable of handling 4.5 million passengers annually.

The airport is located 9.6 miles south of the center of Kuwait City. 

• Within KWI is Abdullah Al-Mubarak Air Base, used by the Kuwaiti Air Force and the Italian Air Force since October 2014 in the fight against ISIL. It has also been used by the U.S. Air Force, which debuted Cargo City instead of the old gateway to the base (after 20 years of use) in 2019. It is operated by the 387th Air Expeditionary Group, with additional services such as maintenance for military and contract flights provided by the 5th Expeditionary Air Mobility Squadron. 
• The Sheikh Saad General Aviation Terminal, initially conceived for private aviation, was eventually used by Aegean Airlines and flydubai before being closed due to work on Terminal 2. 
• Aside from Royal Aviation, FBO services are also provided by iJet. 
• On February 27th, 1991, as part of the liberation of Kuwait during the dying days of the Gulf War, the airport became the scene of a tank battle between Iraqi forces and elements of the U.S. Army Special Forces.