Bahrain airport gears for busy winter schedule

Bahrain International Airport is heading for a busy schedule with new airlines starting operations to the kingdom and some other major airlines increasing flights.

At the end of October, Jordan’s second national carrier, Jordan Aviation (JATE), made Bahrain its second destination in the Gulf for scheduled flights. The low-cost carrier operates two flights a week between Aqaba and Bahrain.
The route will be Aqaba-Dubai-Bahrain-Aqaba on Thursdays and Aqaba- Bahrain-Dubai-Aqaba on Saturdays.
JATE's fleet of eight planes includes the Airbus 310 and Boeing 737. On the Bahrain sector, it will operate the Boeing 737 as an all-economy flight with a capacity of 148 passengers.
JATE, established in 1998 as a charter operator, started scheduled commercial operations in June this year with flights to Dubai and the Egyptian cities of Alexandria, Assiut, Barcelona and Madrid.
Kuwait's Jazeera Airways, which launched its operation last month with flights to Dubai and Beirut, will launch its Bahrain operation on November 10.
Bahrain is one of the first five destinations selected by Jazeera for its first phase operations.
Meanwhile, Gulf Air has announced increased frequencies to a number of key cities in the Middle East, Far East and the Sub-continent as well as new point-to-point services to two new destinations from Bahrain with the 2005/06 winter schedule.
'This winter's changes coupled with previous moves represent the continuous aggressive steps we are taking to increase the productivity and efficiency of Gulf Air while at the same time improving services for customers,' said Gulf Air president and chief executive James Hogan.
Effective October 30, there are two additional flights per week from Bahrain to Bangalore and Chennai (Madras) in India and five more flights per week to Karachi in Pakistan.  The airline is also introducing double daily flights to Mumbai (Bombay) in India.
The main highlight of the airline’s winter schedule is the new services from Bahrain to Dublin and Bahrain to Johannesburg, which commence on December 2.
Operated by Airbus A330 aircraft, passengers will be able to experience the airline's state-of-the-art sky beds in First and Business Class, along with other innovations including Gulf Air's unique First Class Sky Chefs and Sky Nannies for young passengers in every class.
Dublin becomes Gulf Air's seventh destination in Europe and is in addition to the daily services to London.
'Business and leisure travellers now have a unique opportunity to fly direct to the Gulf from Dublin International Airport, which avoids the need to transit via Heathrow or another European hub, usually associated with journeys to the Middle East region,' said Hogan.
Johannesburg, which becomes Gulf Air's 46th destination in 32 countries, is back on-line after an absence of more than seven years.
The service will begin with three flights per week on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from Bahrain and every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from Johannesburg.
Flights from Johannesburg will also provide excellent connectivity onwards to Hong Kong, Manila, Bangkok and Istanbul and a number of other destinations in Gulf Air's extensive network.
Abu Dhabi’s national carrier Etihad Airways has expanded its Bahrain operations by launching daily flights to the Kingdom, increasing from the four earlier.
The airline hopes to eventually increase this to two flights a day, said general manager for Bahrain and the Northern Gulf Hussam Al Aseeri.
Etihad started operations to Bahrain in August last year.  The daily flight schedule will include morning and evening departures.
In another development, India's national carrier will double the number of its flights to Bahrain with the introduction of a low cost service early next year.
Air India will replace its normal operations to Bahrain with its low-cost carrier Air India Express on April 1, said Air India manager for Bahrain and Jordan M N Naik.
At present the airline operates seven flights a week between India and Bahrain. 'This number will increase to 15 when Air India Express comes into operation,' Naik said.
New generation Boeing 737-800 aircraft will be used for the new service, said Naik. The all-economy flight has a capacity to carry 189 passengers.
Bahrain airport gears for busy winter schedule

Bahrain International Airport is heading for a busy schedule with new airlines starting operations to the kingdom and some other major airlines increasing flights.
At the end of October, Jordan’s second national carrier, Jordan Aviation (JATE), made Bahrain its second destination in the Gulf for scheduled flights. The low-cost carrier operates two flights a week between Aqaba and Bahrain.
The route will be Aqaba-Dubai-Bahrain-Aqaba on Thursdays and Aqaba- Bahrain-Dubai-Aqaba on Saturdays.
JATE's fleet of eight planes includes the Airbus 310 and Boeing 737. On the Bahrain sector, it will operate the Boeing 737 as an all-economy flight with a capacity of 148 passengers.
JATE, established in 1998 as a charter operator, started scheduled commercial operations in June this year with flights to Dubai and the Egyptian cities of Alexandria, Assiut, Barcelona and Madrid.
Kuwait's Jazeera Airways, which launched its operation last month with flights to Dubai and Beirut, will launch its Bahrain operation on November 10.
Bahrain is one of the first five destinations selected by Jazeera for its first phase operations.
Meanwhile, Gulf Air has announced increased frequencies to a number of key cities in the Middle East, Far East and the Sub-continent as well as new point-to-point services to two new destinations from Bahrain with the 2005/06 winter schedule.
'This winter's changes coupled with previous moves represent the continuous aggressive steps we are taking to increase the productivity and efficiency of Gulf Air while at the same time improving services for customers,' said Gulf Air president and chief executive James Hogan.
Effective October 30, there are two additional flights per week from Bahrain to Bangalore and Chennai (Madras) in India and five more flights per week to Karachi in Pakistan.  The airline is also introducing double daily flights to Mumbai (Bombay) in India.
The main highlight of the airline’s winter schedule is the new services from Bahrain to Dublin and Bahrain to Johannesburg, which commence on December 2.
Operated by Airbus A330 aircraft, passengers will be able to experience the airline's state-of-the-art sky beds in First and Business Class, along with other innovations including Gulf Air's unique First Class Sky Chefs and Sky Nannies for young passengers in every class.
Dublin becomes Gulf Air's seventh destination in Europe and is in addition to the daily services to London.
'Business and leisure travellers now have a unique opportunity to fly direct to the Gulf from Dublin International Airport, which avoids the need to transit via Heathrow or another European hub, usually associated with journeys to the Middle East region,' said Hogan.
Johannesburg, which becomes Gulf Air's 46th destination in 32 countries, is back on-line after an absence of more than seven years.
The service will begin with three flights per week on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from Bahrain and every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from Johannesburg.
Flights from Johannesburg will also provide excellent connectivity onwards to Hong Kong, Manila, Bangkok and Istanbul and a number of other destinations in Gulf Air's extensive network.
Abu Dhabi’s national carrier Etihad Airways has expanded its Bahrain operations by launching daily flights to the Kingdom, increasing from the four earlier.
The airline hopes to eventually increase this to two flights a day, said general manager for Bahrain and the Northern Gulf Hussam Al Aseeri.
Etihad started operations to Bahrain in August last year.  The daily flight schedule will include morning and evening departures.
In another development, India's national carrier will double the number of its flights to Bahrain with the introduction of a low cost service early next year.
Air India will replace its normal operations to Bahrain with its low-cost carrier Air India Express on April 1, said Air India manager for Bahrain and Jordan M N Naik.
At present the airline operates seven flights a week between India and Bahrain. 'This number will increase to 15 when Air India Express comes into operation,' Naik said.
New generation Boeing 737-800 aircraft will be used for the new service, said Naik. The all-economy flight has a capacity to carry 189 passengers.