Kreebani’s dismissal comes just two years into his tenure and was reportedly prompted by concerns raised by Kuwait’s civil aviation authority. Two sources within the authority, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed to Reuters that it had withdrawn its approval of Kreebani’s leadership of the state-owned airline.
A letter from the civil aviation authority, addressed to the airline's board and reviewed by Reuters, cited “repeated failure to comply with aviation safety rules and regulations” as the primary reason for the move. It also pointed to Kreebani's “failure to meet the deadline to correct deficiencies and errors” as further justification.
As of the time of reporting, Kreebani has not publicly commented on his removal.
The change in leadership signals a push for stricter compliance and operational standards within the national carrier, which has faced scrutiny in the past over performance and governance issues. It remains to be seen how Al-Shatti, the newly appointed CEO, will steer the airline through this transitional phase and address the concerns flagged by regulators.