Bahrain Air sees 2010 as more promising than last year

The carrier yesterday unveiled plans to commence flights to Dhaka and Chittagong in Bangladesh from March 16 and to Istanbul, Turkey, beginning June 16. Bahrain Air said its performance in 2009 was the same as 2008, but expects 2010 to be more promising than 2009.

The carrier, which carried about 750,000 passengers during 2009, has plans to fly one million passengers this year by adding new destinations and special offers.

In a statement yesterday, Ibrahim Abdullah ALHAMER, Managing Director of Bahrain Air said the carrier was flourishing by the day. "It is a honour to able to carry more than one-and-a-half million passengers to 21 destinations in the Gulf, Middle East, Asia and Africa in the last two years," he said, tracing the carrier's growth trajectory.

"In a short period, Bahrain Air has earned itself a name in the aviation market, providing most efficient service across continents. Our effort is to facilitate the market with more destinations and special offers to deliver a choice of good services and affordable fares to the travelling public," he affirmed.

The carrier was also targeting a breakeven during 2011, ALHAMER said earlier. The Bangladesh foray with seven flights weekly for both Dhaka and Chittagong brings the Kingdom-based airline's global network to 21 destinations and also boosts its flying programme to the Indian subcontinent, the carrier said. Similarly, the Turkish operations with its bi-weekly Istanbul flight to be operated to the Ataturk International Airport

would open up new commercial and cultural ties between Bahrain and Turkey.

The carrier also has plans to introduce services to Pakistan later this year, "Our mission is to provide convenient connectivity at the most affordable prices to passengers in both business and economy classes. The introduction of the new flights will give the public a choice of good services, affordable fares and courteous crew on board," ALHAMER informed.

Furthermore, he said the carrier was proud to uphold the Kingdom's position as a major aviation hub. "This doubles our responsibilities towards the country we are representing as well as our valuable customers and the travel sectors we operate in."

The airliner ordered two A319s to be delivered in 2012 or 2013, and has order for another two planes, either A319s or A320s. The carrier has also signed an option to order an additional two Airbus planes.

ALHAMER said Bahrain Air's new headquarters building would be completed before the yearend. "Work on the building located next to Busaiteen Club in Muharraq began this year and we will complete it in a record time."

Bahrain Air was incorporated in the Kingdom on July 2, 2007 as a closed Bahraini Shareholding Company. With a modern fleet of eight Airbus A320 and A319 aircraft, the airline links Bahrain, the financial centre of the Middle East, to various destinations in the GCC, the Levant, Africa and the Indian subcontinent, with fast and economical point to point services.