AirAsia, said it is exploring a major expansion into the Middle East, including a potential direct flight from Manila to Bahrain within the next five years.
The company on Monday signed a letter of intent (LOI) with Bahrain’s Ministry of Transportation and Telecommunications to explore establishing Bahrain as AirAsia’s Middle East hub, marking the start of a long-term partnership to build a major bridge between Asean and one of the world’s fastest-growing aviation regions.
Under the LOI, AirAsia will look into launching flights from Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines and Indonesia to Bahrain over the next five years, with onward connectivity to Europe and the United States. The group will also evaluate establishing a Bahrain-based Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC) to operate narrowbody aircraft into key cities in the Middle East, Central Asia, Africa and Europe.
By 2030, AirAsia expects to operate more than 25 daily flights via Bahrain, carrying over 20 million passengers over the next five years and contributing an estimated BHD 3 billion ($8 billion) to Bahrain’s economy.
