On March 3, 2026, Jazeera Airways relaunched Umrah charters (chartered flights and travel packages designed for pilgrims) to Saudi Arabia. Direct flights between the Saudi nation and Russia have also been rescheduled, bypassing Kuwait, whose airspace remains closed due to the ongoing war in Iran.
A Little About Jazeera Airways
Jazeera Airways, established in 2004, is a major Kuwaiti low-cost carrier operating over 50 destinations across the Middle East, Asia and Europe from its hub at Kuwait International Airport (KWI). It is the first non-government-owned airline in the Middle East and operates from Terminal 5 at KWI.
It runs on a fleet of Airbus A320 and A320neo aircraft, with key destinations including India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia, and various European cities.
Due to regional airspace issues following a drone attack, flights have been temporarily suspended. As of March 8, approvals from Kuwaiti and Saudi authorities have allowed Jazeera Airways to relocate operations to Qaisumah Airport (AQI) in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province, Hafr Al-Batin.
Umrah Charters Restarted
Kuwaiti airspace, alongside that of Bahrain and Qatar, remains closed to all civilian air operations. Following the partial reopening of the United Arab Emirates’ airspace, Etihad Airways joined Emirates in relaunching some commercial operations, with bookings open to new customers.
The carrier has restarted limited Umrah charter operations but is bypassing Kuwait completely. It is currently using aircraft stranded outside the country to run direct charters between Saudi Arabia (Jeddah and Madinah) and other international destinations such as Russia. This allows Umrah rituals to continue with safety rerouting.
The airline stated:
“Arriving passengers can continue their journey by road into Kuwait, and departing passengers can travel to the airport by road, provided they possess a valid visa to enter Saudi Arabia.”
As the holy sites in Makkah and Madinah remain safe and open, pilgrimage remains physically possible after rerouting due to ongoing airspace closures.
Have you ever been on an Umrah charter flight? Share your experiences in the comments below!
