From London to Bangkok in an A321?

For those who currently want to fly directly from London to Kuwait City, chances are very high that they will take a seat onboard a Boeing 777. British Airways and Kuwait Airlines are the only airlines that currently fly the route non-stop, both using the popular wide-body aircraft. This will change as of next October, as the Kuwaiti low-cost airline Jazeera Airways will also connect these two cities.

Instead of a large long-haul aircraft, the airline will use an Airbus A320 Neo. The idea of flying long distances with small airplanes seems to have really appealed to Jazeera who are now considering ordering more aircraft. With the A321 LR and XLR, Airbus offers two long-haul versions of the narrow-body aircraft.

Kuwait City to become a low-cost hub

Since this summer, Jazeera has already decided on an order of 25 additional aircraft – either A320 Neo or 737 Max. Now, the A321 LR and XLR seem to be on the final shortlist when it comes to selecting a type. Jazeera Airways stated that the airline now wants to add even more distant destinations in Southeast Asia to its network, Reuters reports. Kuwait City’s home airport will serve as a gateway for connecting flights to the Middle East, Africa, and Europe in a traditional hub concept.

With the Airbus A321 LR, Jazeera could also connect London with Thailand. With a stopover in Kuwait City, this trip would take 15 hours. The Airbus A321 XLR even enables flights to Hong Kong and Guangzhou in China, the airline says, «We want the flexibility of a narrow-fuselage aircraft,» the manager says. In other words, smaller aircraft are easier to fill – and when in doubt, more frequencies can be offered, giving passengers a wider choice of departure times.