Philippine Airlines (PR, Manila Ninoy Aquino International) has filed a petition with the Civil Aeronautics Board of the Philippines (CAB) seeking the revocation of 5th Freedom traffic rights awarded to Kuwait Airways (KU, Kuwait) on its Bangkok Suvarnabhumi-Manila Ninoy Aquino International-Bangkok Suvarnabhumi sectors.

According to The Standard newspaper, PAL justified its request on the grounds that the Kuwaiti Directorate General of Civil Aviation's (DGCA) has failed to reciprocate in kind and grant it 5th Freedom rights on the Dubai International-Kuwait-Dubai Int'l sectors of its flights to the Gulf. This, PAL claims, is proof the Kuwaiti government has violated the terms of its air services agreement with the Philippines.

The DGCA informed PAL of its decision not to award it the requested traffic rights earlier this month. As it stands, the Manila-Dubai-Kuwait inaugural flight took off on Sunday, January 17.