Bahrain International Airport

Bahrain Air’s hybrid LCC/full service model to gain more premium features amid route expansion

Bahrain Air this year will move its hybrid business model closer to the premium end of the spectrum with the addition of proper business class seats and other service enhancements as the carrier seeks to better tap the Gulf’s premium market while maintaining a low-cost base to competitively fill the back of its aircraft.

This adjustment, along with six new routes to be added this year, will help the carrier put an incredibly difficult 2011 behind it. CEO Richard Nuttall says the renewed expansion will continue the growth launched in 2H2011.

Bahrain Air has a long list of routes it has indicated it is interested in operating, particularly to Tirvandrum, Delhi, Pune, Goa, Amritsa and Chennai in India and Lahore, Multan and Peshawar in Pakistan. South Asia-Middle East links have become common due to large South Asian workforce in the Gulf. Bahrain Air also has interest in Northeast Africa as well as Iran and Turkey. No formal announcements to specific routes have been made yet.

The Middle East's biggest air routes: Intra-regional city pairs dominate

Jeddah-Riyadh and Dubai-Doha are by far the busiest routes to, from or within the Middle East, but there are some changes ahead. A spike in capacity on the Dubai-London Heathrow route will see it take third place, while major cities linked with Cairo will see some seasonal reductions in coming months, namely Jeddah, Riyadh and Kuwait. More seats are being added from Dubai to the key Indian cities of Delhi and Mumbai, which will see them rise up the rankings.

Gulf Air Middle East and South Asian operations enhanced for Winter 2011 schedule

Bahrain’s Gulf Air continues to refine its flight schedule as it seeks to enhance the efficiency and attractiveness of its operations. Earlier this year, the loss-making carrier launched a new commercial initiative and advertising campaign to regain lost ground in its home market. Now it hopes that enhancing the convenience of its services will continue to attract passengers away from its rivals.

European carriers trending in right direction in first summer month

Europe’s major airlines have made a good start to the northern summer, with strong gains in load factors across the board and almost all carriers reporting year-on-year increases in passenger numbers.

Results quietly encourging for aviation, fuel-pinned airfares scare off leisure travellers

With the bulk of the quarter’s reporting done, in the main the numbers are encouraging but one swallow does not a summer make. The aviation industry will have to see a more sustained performance to support evidence of a recovery.