Kuwait Airways (KU, Kuwait) chairman Abdulmohsen Salem says the state-owned carrier is exploring both the A350F and the B777-F as potential freighter choices, but ruled out adding any narrowbody freighters. Former chief executive Maen Razzouqi previously said in September that Kuwait Airways would expect to float a Request for Proposal for freighter aircraft before the end of 2023.

Speaking to Flightglobal on the sidelines of the Arab Air Carriers Organization (AACO) AGM, Alfagaan said increased cargo demand from China to the Middle East for infrastructure projects was one of the driving forces behind the decision to add maindeck freighters - three aircraft initially, with two more potentially being added to its fleet through the end of the decade. Kuwait Airways' passenger widebody fleet currently consists of five A330-200s, four A330-800s, and ten B777-300(ER)s. It has another seven A330-900s and two A350-900s on order from Airbus according to ch-aviation fleets data. It currently serves just one destination in China, Guangzhou, with a 3x weekly A330-200.

Earlier in 2022, Razzouqi also said Kuwait Airways might potentially restructure its Airbus order further replacing the passenger A350-900s yet to be delivered with freighters instead.