Bahrain has called for closer ties between Gulf Air and Singapore Airlines, saying the rival carriers should co-operate on the competitive Europe-Middle East-Asia route.
Singapore has been aggressively moving to forge open skies agreements with other countries to help it compete with regional airports in Hong Kong, Thailand and Malaysia.
Singapore and Bahrain signed an open skies deal allowing unrestricted use of each other’s airports but, while Gulf Air operates 14 weekly passenger flights on the route, Singapore Airlines, the world’s second-biggest airline by market value, does not fly to Bahrain.
Bahrain Transport Minister Sheikh Ali bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, speaking on the sidelines of a signing ceremony, said he had discussed closer ties with his Singapore counterpart.
He hoped the city-state’s government, which has a 57 per cent stake in Singapore Air, would push the carrier into offering flights on the route. ‘There should be a co-operation between the two airlines,’ he said.
Meanwhile, Gulf Air has a legacy of service and a commitment to make travel as comfortable and convenient as possible.
This is evident in a range of innovative and unique services. One of the lesser known of these services is the Frequent Traveller’s Medical Card (FREMEC), which enables customers who are permanently or chronically incapacitated to travel without obtaining medical clearances every time they fly.
“The reservation and travel process is considerably simplified and speeded up because passengers are immediately accepted for travel subject to the stipulations on the card, and no further enquiry is needed,” said Tariq Sultan, vice president Information Technology at Gulf Air.