Tightening penalties on travel agencies and airlines and requiring them to retrieve reservations

The Kuwait Civil Aviation Authority said today, Tuesday, that the Complaints and Arbitration Committee held its sixth meeting for the year 2026, in order to consider the complaints submitted by the traveling public and the violations that were monitored by air transport market inspectors towards tourism and travel offices and airline companies operating in the State of Kuwait. It explained that the committee imposed severe penalties on violating persons in the air transport market, while obliging them to fully adhere to implementing the circular regarding retrieving ticket and hotel reservations within a period not exceeding 15 working days, in order to preserve the rights of travelers.

Hamad Al-Arada, the committee’s rapporteur, stated that the complaints and violations referred to the committee were discussed in order to take legal measures regarding them, due to their violation of the laws and circulars issued by the General Authority of Civil Aviation related to the air transport market, and the appropriate decision was taken for each case separately, in addition to the results of the inspection tours on the air transport market to confirm the procedures of the market persons.

The meeting resulted in the imposition of penalties against market persons who violate the laws, regulations, decisions and circulars issued by the Authority, and the rest of the complaints referred to the Committee are being completed in the upcoming periodic meetings.

Al-Aradah stated that the Chairman of the Committee stressed the need for the market persons to adhere to implementing all laws, regulations, decisions and circulars issued to regulate the work of the air transport market in the State of Kuwait, stressing not to be complacent in this matter and to preserve the rights of travelers and to emphasize the severity of the punishment for market persons for not adhering to the application of Circular No. (2026/12) regarding retrieving ticket and hotel reservations and increasing the punishment for violators. He also noted the need for the majority of the market persons to cooperate with travelers at the present time regarding Retrieve ticket and hotel reservations.