Kuwait Airways and Skyports Sign Strategic Partnership
Knetco and Skyports Infrastructure (Skyports) have signed a strategic memorandum of understanding to collaborate on the development of Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) infrastructure and support the growth of this promising sector’s ecosystem in Kuwait.
Under the agreement, Skyports will serve as Knetco’s partner in Kuwait in developing infrastructure for advanced vertiports, jointly working on market development, stakeholder engagement, and exploring future commercial opportunities.
This partnership combines Knetco’s extensive expertise in critical infrastructure and the telecommunications sector with Skyports’ global experience in developing AAM infrastructure.
Both parties share a clear vision that the future of Advanced Air Mobility extends beyond aircraft alone, requiring an integrated ecosystem that includes infrastructure, communication networks, digital integration, operational planning, and collaboration among government entities, investors, technology companies, operators, and infrastructure providers.
Through this partnership, Knetco and Skyports aim to take concrete steps toward laying the foundations for the future AAM ecosystem in Kuwait.
Raham Al-Ghanim, Chairwoman of the Board of Directors at Knetco, stated that innovation does not only mean responding to today’s market demands, but also preparing for the industries and infrastructure that will shape the future economy.
She noted that “this partnership reflects Knetco’s commitment to investing in future infrastructure and our confidence in the opportunities that emerging industries can create, contributing to long-term sustainable economic development. We also recognize that developing a new mobility ecosystem requires close cooperation with relevant government authorities, and we look forward to working alongside them as this sector evolves.”
She added, “We are pleased to collaborate with Skyports and look forward to building a strong, sustainable partnership that will endure for many years,” emphasizing that this agreement represents more than just a partnership; it marks the beginning of a new chapter in the journey of infrastructure development.
For his part, Stuart Summers, Chargé d’Affaires at the British Embassy in Kuwait, stated that the United Kingdom and Kuwait share a solid, long-standing relationship based on cooperation, innovation, and mutual trust. He added that the partnership between Skyports and Knetco serves as another example of how British expertise and Kuwaiti capabilities can be combined to explore new industries and future opportunities.
Daniel O’Neill, General Manager for the Middle East at Skyports, affirmed that “Kuwait possesses the ambition, strategic location, and forward-looking vision that position it as a significant market for Advanced Air Mobility (AAM). Through this strategic partnership with Knetco, we are combining our complementary expertise to help lay the foundations for a safe, integrated, and commercially sustainable AAM ecosystem in Kuwait.”
He continued, “With significant progress in implementing our vertiport network in Dubai and the completion of the foundational VDX vertiport platform, we look forward to leveraging our leading expertise and knowledge in this sector to support the future of Advanced Air Mobility in Kuwait.”
For his part, Khaled Samih Hal, CEO of Knetco, stated, “Many people look at advanced air mobility and see aircraft, but we know that every new industry always begins with infrastructure. Therefore, leadership is not about seeing what exists today, but building what the future will rely on. Knetco has spent decades contributing to the development of the telecommunications sector’s infrastructure, and today we are transferring this expertise to the infrastructure of the future.”
Hal added that “advanced vertical takeoff and landing sites, communication networks, digital platforms, operational processes, regulatory frameworks, investors, and partnerships must all work together to develop a new mobility ecosystem and drive its growth. This will not be achieved without close collaboration with relevant government authorities. Our role is to bring together the right expertise, specialized infrastructure capabilities, and global partners around one table.”
He pointed out that “this agreement represents our first practical step. Our ambition extends beyond creating advanced vertical takeoff and landing sites; it lies in contributing to building the infrastructure ecosystem that enables the advanced air mobility sector to grow and evolve.” He emphasized his belief that Knetco is helping to shape future infrastructure systems, noting that while every new industry starts with an idea, turning that idea into a real market requires infrastructure, expertise, capital, and collaboration.
Hal concluded his remarks by stating that the partnership between Knetco and Skyports represents an early practical step toward bringing these elements together and supporting the future development of the advanced air mobility sector.
