JAZEERA AIRWAYS SHOWS ITS HUMANITARIAN SIDE

UNCLAS KUWAIT 003166 SIPDIS SIPDIS SENSITIVE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAIR PHUM FAA KU SUBJECT: JAZEERA AIRWAYS SHOWS ITS HUMANITARIAN SIDE REF: 05 KUWAIT 4510 This cable is sensitive but unclassified; please protect accordingly. Not for Internet distribution. ¶1. (U) Jazeera Airways (JA),the first private airline company in the Gulf and Kuwait's only low-cost carrier (Ref A),has taken to offering free humanitarian flights as a way to boost its already positive public image. Prior to Kuwait's historic parliamentary elections on June 29, the first in which women were eligible to participate as voters and candidates, JA offered free seats on its flights to Kuwait for woman eligible to vote or who wanted to observe the elections. JA Communications Manager Fawaz Al-Sirri said the decision to offer the free flights was made in support of women's rights and as a call for Kuwaiti women to return and participate in the election. He reported that 185 women of various nationalities took advantage of the free flights. ¶2. (U) More recently, JA repatriated thousands of Kuwaiti residents (both Kuwaiti and expatriate) who had fled the conflict in Lebanon. After flights to and from Beirut were suspended, JA diverted those flights to Damascus and evacuated 7,650 persons on 46 flights to Kuwait through the first two weeks of the conflict. JA conducted these evacuation flights free-of-charge to passengers, although the Ministry of Communications later announced that the GOK will reimburse JA for the costs, which reportedly totalled USD 6.3 million (1.8 million Kuwaiti Dinars). Additionally, JA announced that any person holding tickets to Beirut could receive either a full refund or an equivalent flight credit to another JA destination plus 10% off their next booking. ¶3. (SBU) Comment: JA has received significant positive press coverage for these efforts, adding to its already positive public image. Al-Sirri said free flights for women voters and for evacuees are part of JA's marketing and business strategy to position itself as a good corporate citizen, and to position itself as a counterpoint to national carrier Kuwait Airways, which is generally seen as bloated, inefficient, and having poor service. Clearly, GOK reimbursement made the evacuation flights more financially palatable for JA, but Al-Sirri insisted that JA had decided to offer the flights before any compensation plan had been worked out. Although Al-Sirri declined to estimate JA's profits or market share for its first year of operation, he said that JA management is satisfied with JA's perfomance. Many mission employees have flown JA to regional destinations and almost universally give the airline rave reviews. End Comment. ******************************************** For more Embassy Kuwait reporting, see: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/kuwait/?cable s Or Visit Embassy Kuwait's Classified Website: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/kuwait/ ******************************************** TUELLER