The Ente Nazionale per l’Aviazione Civile announced that president Pierluigi Di Palma and acting director general Fabio Nicolai hosted a Kuwaiti delegation led by Directorate General of Civil Aviation president Sheikh Hamoud Mubarak Al-Sabah for a meeting and networking lunch in the Italian capital. During the April 24, 2025 gathering, the two authorities signed a protocol of understanding intended to support direct air connections between Italy and Kuwait along with reciprocal development prospects in civil aviation. The Italian authority described the accord as a step that consolidates long-standing aeronautical relations between the countries.
ENAC’s statement noted that the protocol follows an institutional trip Di Palma made to Kuwait City the year before as well as a recent visit to the authority by Kuwaiti ambassador to Italy Nasser Alqahtani, who attended the Rome event. The ambassador’s presence reflected sustained diplomatic engagement on aviation matters. These preceding steps had laid groundwork for the formal agreement now in place.
The Kuwaiti side included vice director general for aviation safety Abdullah Al-Rajhi, head of the president’s office Mubarak Malallah and foreign ministry official Faisal Al Sumait. Their participation underscored the delegation’s focus on both operational safety and broader governmental coordination. ENAC highlighted the composition of the visiting group in its account of the day’s proceedings.
Italian participants featured ENAC board member Benedetta Fiorini, court of auditors magistrate Pino Zingale and central director Giovanna Laschena. Industry representatives at the lunch included ITA Airways president Sandro Pappalardo, Leonardo executives Simone Ungaro and Giuseppe Umberto Panetta plus officials from ASC Handling and Avioitaliana. The ENAC release listed all these attendees to illustrate the range of stakeholders involved in advancing bilateral aviation ties.
The protocol builds on existing services, with Kuwait Airways already operating eight weekly flights to Italian destinations including Rome, according to remarks the Kuwaiti ambassador gave to Agenzia Nova. Officials from both sides have discussed further arrangements that could enable ITA Airways to launch its own direct routes. Such expansions would align with Kuwait’s wider push to broaden its international aviation network.
Kuwait’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation has pursued similar cooperative frameworks with other partners, securing recognition at the 2025 ICAO General Assembly for advances in its security oversight system as reported by Kuwait Times. The new agreement with Italy fits within that pattern of aligning with global standards while seeking targeted bilateral gains. Communications on implementation details continue between the respective authorities and carriers.
