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Kuwait Airways flight on route to Cairo suffered engine failure twice over Saudi Arabian airspace.
Kuwait Airways flight 541 took off at midday from Kuwait International Airport on Wednesday, but had to turn back at 1.30pm when one of the engines failed.
Repair work was carried out on the ground, and the plane set off again, according to a report in Kuwaiti daily Arab Times.
However, the engine failed again and had to turn back a second time. Passengers eventually took off at 5pm and completed their journey to Cairo.
State-owned Kuwait Airways has fallen behind new and modernised airlines such as Emirates, Qatar Airways and Etihad.
In January, Kuwait's National Assembly approved a plan to sell 40 percent of the loss-making airline to the public and a further 35 percent to a long-term investor - likely to be another airline - within two years.
Passengers who spoke to Arab Times expressed concerns about maintenance on Kuwait Airways planes and urged the company's management to focus on passenger safety rather than streamlining the operation in preparation for privatisation.
Kuwait Airways officials were not available to comment.