The Egyptian flag carrier EgyptAir announced that it will operate two weekly flights to Kuwait starting 5 September after a year hiatus due to Kuwaiti concerns over coronavirus situation in a number of countries.

In a statement, CEO of EgyptAir Airlines Amr Abul-Enein said the flag carrier will use the Boeing 737-800 and 787 Dreamliner in the flights to Kuwait.

The announcement comes two weeks after the Kuwaiti Cabinet decided to resume commercial flights from Kuwait to Egypt, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Nepal, under a set of conditions.

Kuwaiti airports will receive slightly less than 11,000 Egyptians per week following this decision, Al-Arabiya has cited sources as saying.

In August last year, Kuwait banned commercial flights to 31 countries, including Egypt, over coronavirus concerns.

Conditions for the return of flights to Kuwait, according to a statement by the Kuwaiti Centre for Government Communication on 19 August, include presenting a negative PCR lab test result conducted 72 hours at most before arrival.

The Kuwaiti airports will allow the entry of those who have received one dose of the Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine or two doses of the vaccines approved by Kuwait, which are Moderna, Pfizer or Astrazeneca.

Those who received two doses of the Russian Sputnik vaccine or the Chinese Sinopharm and Sinovac vaccines will be allowed to enter the country only after they receive a third dose of one of the approved vaccines, the centre said.

Those who received the coronavirus vaccine need to show certificates that include their names as in their passport, the vaccine type, dates of doses, vaccine provider, and QR code.

Travelers will also need to download the Kuwait Mosafer and Shlonik applications. Shlonik assists the Kuwaiti health ministry in following up on the condition of incoming travelers in isolation.