The Directorate General of Civil Aviation on May 31 2026 announced new check-in closing times for Kuwait International Airport effective the next day with counters for GCC and Arab flights closing one hour before departure and 90 minutes for other international routes. Officials urged travelers to arrive early to ensure smooth processing as the airport seeks to streamline operations.
According to the DGCA announcement carried by Arab Times the updated policy forms part of ongoing measures to enhance operational efficiency at Kuwait International Airport following the successful resumption of flights through Terminal 1. The authority reported that the first day of resumed operations proceeded smoothly due to high preparedness and coordination among all involved entities. The DGCA noted that effective cooperation between airport partners played a key role in ensuring seamless procedures.
Reports from multiple news outlets including Times Kuwait echoed the details of the revised timelines for different flight categories. For regional travel within the GCC and to other Arab nations the one-hour cutoff applies whereas international flights to non-Arab destinations observe the 90-minute rule before counters close. The guidelines were published to provide clear instructions to the traveling public ahead of the June 1 implementation.
Kuwait International Airport recorded 7.4 million passengers in the first half of 2025 a 3 percent decline from the same period in 2024 according to a Zawya report based on informed sources. This marked the airport as having the weakest performance among GCC peers with Bahrain International Airport registering 1.5 percent growth over the same interval. The civil aviation authority tracks these passenger figures to guide infrastructure and procedural decisions.
Official figures from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation indicate the airport’s capacity exceeds 13 million passengers annually following upgrades to its terminals. The DGCA’s statistics section publishes data on total departures arrivals and transit passengers for public reference. Historical comparisons show passenger numbers at the facility reached notable levels in 2022 before subsequent fluctuations.
The DGCA has stated that the number of airlines and flights operating through Terminal 1 will increase in the coming weeks under approved plans. Social media updates from accounts such as Kuwait Updates reiterated the exact check-in closure requirements for various destinations. Coordination among regulatory bodies and operators contributed to the positive outcomes observed during the initial phase of terminal reactivation.
