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Bahrain's travel industry is upbeat over the announcement of the kingdom's second national carrier.
Bahrain Air is the country's first private budget airline, a premium low-priced carrier that is expected to open for bookings on the kingdom's National Day on December 16.
Flights are set to start on January 17 next year with 140 weekly flights linking Bahrain with Dammam, Riyadh, Jeddah, Doha, Kuwait, Dubai, Alexandria, Sana'a, Amman, Khartoum, Beirut and Damascus.
Expressing optimism at the announcement Bahrain International Travel Group's general manager, Paul Clabburn, said: "Budget airlines stimulate business. They are good for everyone and encourage traffic to and fro from Bahrain."
Vijay Menon, general manager of Dadabhai Travels, welcomed the competition and said that private airlines generally offer better services.
"Travellers within GCC prefer budget airlines for their convenience and cost saving benefits. Competition is healthy. New aircraft and better services will make a difference to what is being currently offered by the existing carriers. Passengers are always looking out for comfort and punctuality," he explained.
This opinion was reiterated by Jeremy Hale, travel manager of Kanoo Travels, who said: "The launch of Bahrain Air underlines the growth and confidence of the travel sector in the region. Any new enterprise which enhances passenger choice can only be good for the industry as a whole and we wish them every success."
Stating that the airline's mission is to provide reliable, frequent, safe and convenient services, Mohammed Saleh Fakhri, director of commercial operations at Bahrain Air, said: "The airline aims to link Bahrain, the financial centre of the Middle East, by providing economical and fast, point-to-point air service to the business community. The airline will promote the Bahrain International Airport as a major hub in the region and contribute to promoting tourism in the kingdom."
A modern Airbus A320 fleet, separate business class on all routes, frequent flyer programmes, complementary snacks, invitations to business class lounges at all airports, separate check-in, priority baggage handling and Bahraini hospitality will differentiate the airline from the competition, added Mr Fakhri.
Officials also said the airline has ambitious plans to expand its operations within the Gulf, Middle East, Africa and the Indian sub-continent.
Bahrain Air company has an authorised paid up capital of BD10 million and a fully paid up capital of BD8 million - 68 per cent of the shares are held by Bahraini investors and the rest are held by Saudi investors. Shaikh Mohammed bin Abdulla bin Hamad Al Khalifa is the airline's chairman and Ibrahim Al Hamer is the managing director. Faisal H Jawad and Ali Mohammed Al Musallam are board members.
