DUBAI – A parliamentary committee in Kuwait has approved the privatization of struggling flagship carrier Kuwait Airways, but says the process could take up to three years.



The report by the official Kuwait News Agency gave no further details. But officials Tuesday suggested there were no major changes to previously announced plans to offer a 35 percent stake to shareholders.



Kuwait Airways faces several challenges including high labor costs, an aging fleet and stiff competition from other Gulf carriers such as Qatar Airways and Dubai-based Emirates. The move comes four years after Kuwait’s parliament first approved a plan to restructure the airline.



Meanwhile, Kuwait’s parliament Tuesday approved a Royal decree amending voting rules, the official news agency KUNA said.



The emergency decree issued by the Emir in October - a week after he dissolved parliament - reduced the number of votes per citizen to one from four. – Agencies