US airliner to forgo direct flights to Bahrain, Kuwait

American carrier United Airlines will terminate its direct services to Kuwait and Bahrain from January 13. However, the airlines said the move would not affect passengers flying between Bahrain and the US.

The American carrier decided to stop its direct services to Kuwait two weeks after a US court banned Kuwait Airways from operating there as it refused to accept Israeli passport holders.

The United Airlines presently connects Bahrain and Washington DC via Kuwait. The service is available on Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. The airliner started its Bahrain service in April 2010.

Currently the Boeing 777 aircraft of United Airlines leaves Bahrain at 9.15pm and reaches Washington DC at 7.05am after halting in Kuwait for 1.45 hours. It begins its journey from Washington DC at 10pm and lands in Bahrain at 7.40pm, after grounding in Kuwait 1.15 hours.

A source from the United Airlines office in Manama said that the service between Bahrain and the US will remain uninterrupted even after the cancellation of Kuwait service. Bahraini passengers will be connected through Dubai, the source said.

According to the new schedule available on the website of the United Airlines, flydubai will connect the Washington bound United Airlines, via Dubai.

There are also options to travel via London, Frankfurt or Paris, using Gulf Air as a connecting flight.
Meanwhile, United Airlines

has expressed its hope of resuming Kuwait-US flight service. According to United Airlines spokesperson Luke Punzenberger, the airline would continue to work with the Kuwaiti government.

“We have taken steps to cease our service to Kuwait and Bahrain, effective January 13, 2016,” View from the Wing aviation blog reported as Luke Punzenberger saying.