Bahrain could become a stop-off destination for British Airways (BA) passengers travelling between Saudi Arabia and the UK.
The airline suspended flights to Saudi Arabia due to heightened security concerns.
BA country commercial manager Richard Hirsch says this could lead to an increase in the number of travellers flying to Bahrain International Airport.
“We expect that we will end up with a few more passengers coming through Bahrain and driving across the causeway,” said Hirsch.
“That may be one option for passengers currently at Heathrow and looking to get back to Saudi Arabia.
“Staff may offer connections to Bahrain and then on to Saudi Arabia.”
The system could work both ways with people travelling from Saudi Arabia to Bahrain for onward connections to the UK.
However, Hirsch says he does not expect the Bahrain operation to be overly affected.
l British Airways said it had been given the go-ahead by Iraq’s Governing Council to resume flights to the country after a 13-year interlude.
Flights to Basra were likely to resume by the end of the year, the airline said.