Kuwait Airways compensation: when you can claim up to €600
Most people flying Kuwait Airways from Europe are not going to Kuwait at all. They change planes in Kuwait City and carry on to Bangkok, Manila, Islamabad or India. Across the claims we have handled, more than 90 files covering over 160 passengers, the busiest starting points are Paris, London, Madrid and Amsterdam. Over those distances, arriving 3 hours late is normally worth €600 per person.
There is a catch. Kuwait Airways is the state-owned national carrier of Kuwait, so it is a non-EU airline. Regulation (EC) 261/2004 only binds it on flights leaving an airport in the EU, Iceland, Norway or Switzerland, while departures from the UK follow the British version of the rules. Amsterdam–Kuwait City is covered; Kuwait City–Amsterdam is not.
Delay out of Europe
You reach your final destination, including after the stop in Kuwait City, 3 hours or more late.
Final arrival countsCancellation
Your departure from Europe was scrapped with under 14 days' notice and no similar alternative.
Under 14 days' noticeBumped from the flight
You had a confirmed seat and checked in on time, but were left behind because the flight was full.
Payable at onceOutside the rules
Flights departing from Kuwait City, Dubai or anywhere outside Europe, and genuinely extraordinary events.
Non-European departuresConnections make it easy to get confused about coverage. Enter your Kuwait Airways journey and we will tell you in 2 minutes.
How much Kuwait Airways pays on routes from Europe
The fare and cabin class are irrelevant. What counts is the distance from your first departure airport to your final destination. Some journeys our customers made:
| Kuwait Airways journey | Covered? | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Athens–Kuwait City | Yes, 1,500–3,500 km | €400 |
| Paris–Kuwait City | Yes, over 3,500 km | €600 |
| Amsterdam–Kuwait City | Yes, over 3,500 km | €600 |
| Paris–Kuwait City–Bangkok on one booking | Yes, final destination counts | €600 |
| Madrid–Kuwait City–Manila on one booking | Yes, final destination counts | €600 |
| Manchester–Kuwait City–Islamabad | Yes, under UK rules | Paid in pounds |
| Bangkok–Kuwait City–Paris (return) | No, departs outside Europe | Not payable |
Each passenger with a seat is owed the full sum. A family of four on a Paris–Bangkok trip that lands 5 hours late can claim €2,400. On journeys over 3,500 km the figure is €600 once you are 3 hours or more late.
Kuwait Airways flight delayed: what to do
About 3 in 4 of our Kuwait Airways claims involve a delay. The usual story: the Heathrow or Paris departure leaves late, the onward connection in Kuwait City is gone, and passengers reach Manila or Bangkok a day later. While it is happening:
- Keep every boarding pass, including the one for the connecting flight out of Kuwait City.
- Ask for the reason in writing at the transfer desk in Kuwait City or at the gate in Europe.
- Note the real arrival time at your final destination, not just in Kuwait City.
- Save receipts for food and hotels if you were not given vouchers.
- Do not swap your claim for Oasis Club miles or vouchers before you know the cash value.
Care while you wait
On departures from Europe, Kuwait Airways must provide meals, drinks and, where needed, a hotel with transfers.
| Distance | Care after |
|---|---|
| Up to 1,500 km | 2 hours |
| 1,500–3,500 km (e.g. Athens–Kuwait City) | 3 hours |
| Over 3,500 km (e.g. Paris–Kuwait City) | 4 hours |
| More than 5 hours | You can abandon the trip and get a refund |
Missed connection in Kuwait City
On a single ticket from Europe, the delay is measured at your final arrival and the amount follows the total distance: a Madrid–Manila trip with a missed connection is worth €600. With separate tickets, only the leg from the EU counts. See our page on Kuwait Airways delay compensation.
Kuwait Airways flight cancelled: refund plus compensation
Roughly 1 in 5 of our cases is a cancellation, often with passengers rebooked onto the next day's departure.
Your choice: the money you paid back, or rerouting to your final destination.
On top of that, if the flight left from Europe and notice came less than 14 days ahead.
| Notice | Compensation |
|---|---|
| 14 days or more | No, refund or rerouting only |
| 7–13 days | Yes, unless the alternative leaves no more than 2 hours earlier and arrives less than 4 hours late |
| Under 7 days | Yes, unless the alternative leaves no more than 1 hour earlier and arrives less than 2 hours late |
Retimed flights. A European departure moved by several hours just days before travel can count as a cancellation under EU case law. More on compensation for a cancelled Kuwait Airways flight.
Kuwait Airways overbooking
It is uncommon, around 3 in 100 of our claims, but it happens on full holiday-season flights. If you are refused boarding against your will on a departure from Europe, compensation and a new flight are due immediately. Nothing is owed if you lacked a visa or travel documents required for your destination. Details on our page about Kuwait Airways overbooking and denied boarding.
Strikes affecting Kuwait Airways
If Kuwait Airways' own staff walk out, the airline cannot call it extraordinary (EU Court of Justice, case C-28/20). A French air traffic control strike or industrial action by ground staff at a European airport is a different matter: no compensation, but care remains due.
Kuwait Airways rejected your claim? Typical reasons
Faults found during routine maintenance are not extraordinary, even on a long-haul aircraft.
EU Court of Justice, case C-549/07On one ticket starting in the EU, final arrival is what matters, even if the trouble began in Kuwait City.
Closures linked to tension in the Gulf can be extraordinary, but the airline must show they hit your specific flight.
That is correct: for a non-EU carrier, the journey back to Europe falls outside the Regulation.
Which Kuwait Airways flights are not covered
With a non-EU carrier, the direction of travel decides everything. Regulation 261 does not apply to:
- Kuwait City–Europe flights, even when they end in Paris, Madrid or Amsterdam;
- the return from Bangkok, Manila or Islamabad via Kuwait City;
- flights between non-EU countries, such as Dubai–Kuwait City.
For flights from Heathrow or Manchester, the UK rules apply and the Civil Aviation Authority is the regulator. For uncovered return legs, only the airline's conditions of carriage and local law apply.
How to claim from Kuwait Airways: on your own or with us
Kuwait Airways asks for claims in writing to its Customer Relations team in Kuwait and says it cannot handle them at the airport. One claim can cover up to 6 passengers with the same surname on the same booking.
You write to an office in Kuwait and wait. If the answer is no, your next steps are the national enforcement body of the country where the flight departed or the courts, at your own expense.
Two minutes to give us the details, then an online signature. We handle the claim, the formal demand and court action with our own lawyers. You pay only on success: 25% + VAT. Legal costs are ours even if we lose.
Already turned down
Forward us the reply from Customer Relations. If the reasoning does not stand up, we send a formal letter before action.
What to gather
- E-ticket and boarding passesFor every leg, with the booking reference.
- PassportFor each passenger.
- Kuwait Airways notificationsEmails or texts about the delay, cancellation or rebooking.
Time limits
The Regulation itself sets no deadline; national law in the country where you claim decides (EU Court of Justice, case C-139/11). An older trip may still qualify: check your date.
How long Kuwait Airways takes to pay
If the airline accepts, payment usually lands within a few weeks. If it refuses or goes quiet, a formal demand and possibly court proceedings add a few months. On €600 you keep €417, which we transfer as soon as we receive it.
Delayed or damaged baggage with Kuwait Airways
With a change of plane in Kuwait City, bags do sometimes miss the connection. The Montreal Convention applies: file a PIR at your arrival airport, then write to the airline within 7 days for damage or within 21 days of delivery for a delay.
Kuwait Airways contact details and flight status
- Head office
- Kuwait Airways Corporation, Kuwait International Airport
- Claims
- In writing to Kuwait Airways Customer Relations, as set out on the EC Regulation page of the official website
- Frequent flyer
- Oasis Club
- Flight status
- kuwaitairways.com
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