KUNA Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber
Al-Sabah patronized a ceremony held at the Kuwait
International Airport to launch Kuwait's first private airline the
"Jazeera".

Minister of Communications Sheikh Ahmad Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, who
received Sheikh Sabah at the Airport along with the Commerce and Industry
Minister, addressed the ceremony and congratulated the newly-born company
for launching its first jetliner. He said Kuwait has been always keeping an
eye on the air transport business for being an important source of national
income.

Jazeera Airlines Board Chairman, Marwan Boudai, underlined the efforts of
the prime minister in encouraging the creation of a Kuwaiti private carrier.
He said the Jazeera, having been created of mere Kuwaiti investments, will
help fostering national economy and developing the air travel industry in
Kuwait and the region.

The airline will have four Airbus A-320s. Minister of Commerce and Industry
Abdallah Al-Tawil said inauguration of the first flight exemplifies the new
economic switch that allows the private sector to play a pioneering economic
role. He said launching Jazeera company mirrors the endeavours to cope with
the new international economic prerogatives and tendencies to liberalize
trade exchange and the government's tilt to economic reform, restructuring
and downplaying the state's financial burdens.

Also, he said, the inauguration is harmonious with the efforts to expand
Kuwait International Airport and develop the services it renders to address
the rising number of passengers that could exceed total 12 million to 20
million per annum.

The Kuwaiti government, he went on, is adopting the plan that would turn the
country into a regional service and transit center, with concern to major
economic projects that were monopolized by the government -- In fact, he
went on, the private sector is making a qualitative leap within short time
by handling projects in the petrochemicals, oil stations and air traffic
spheres.

The airline will fly to Dubai, Beirut, Bahrain, Damascus and Amman and will
soon be making trips to Alexandria, Luxor and the Indian sub-continent from
Kuwait. Passengers can book flights either through the website
"Jazeeraairways.com", travel agencies, short message service (SMS) or
through its hotline 177.