Kuwait- Media blamed for fall in KAC sales 

(MENAFN - Arab Times) Kuwait Airways Corporation (KAC) witnessed a decline in sales during recent months due to the media campaign concerning the air fleet's safety and political events in some Arab nations, KAC Board Chairman Yousif Al-Hmaidi said.

He added, in remarks on the sidelines of a ceremony marking renewal of a maintenance agreement with the Amman-based Jordan Aircraft Mainte-nance Company (Jora-mco), that the KAC is operating with the highest safety standards according to international specialized organizations.

The renewal of the KAC agreement with Joramco was approved with lower prices compared to previous times.

Al-Humaidi said the media made propaganda out of this issue, adding that civil aviation supervising bodies like Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), and manufactures are responsible for judging of the KAC air fleet.

"The tendentious media campaign and the Arab Spring" affected sales of the KAC, which forced the corporation to decrease operating hours and number of flights, like suspending flights to Damascus, and temporarily halting flights to Cairo and Beirut.

The KAC air fleet is safe and the corporation is abiding by safety measures before each take-off, he affirmed.

On the corporation's privatization question, he said the KAC is awaiting the government decision in this respect.

Al-Hmaidi added that the KAC and Kuwait Investment Authority (KIA) are ready for this step, pointing out that such a decision will offer it lots of benefits.

In case the KAC turns to the private sector, the corporation's employees will either retire or work in other institutions, especially "in light of the current circumstances," he affirmed.

Al-Hmaidi signed with the Chief Executive Officer an agreement for maintenance of eight KAC airplanes, as part of the cooperation between the two sides that started in 2007.