Kuwait Airways to lease, delay orders, as neighbours take 50 widebodies each year in 2013 and 2014

Kuwait Airways is saddled with one of the oldest and least efficient fleets in the Middle East, but the carrier is reportedly considering postponing its long awaited fleet order with Airbus, in favour of a deal involving short-term aircraft leases. The option to postpone the long-term solution may be the best avenue for the debt-laden carrier to accelerate replacement of its badly ageing aircraft, while sidestepping the political interference that has dogged previous acquisition plans.

Meanwhile, neighbouring Middle East airlines will add more than 50 widebody aircraft this year and another 50 in 2014, as carriers in the region continue to expand their fleets with high-capacity, long-range aircraft to fill out their globe-spanning networks. At the same time, they are dictating the options for other airlines in the region.

More than half of the aircraft scheduled to be delivered to the region over the next five years are widebody aircraft, including large numbers of next generation aircraft types such as the 787 and A350.