Bahrain Air plans second hub in Saudi Arabia

Bahrain Air said on Saturday it is to establish a second hub in Dammam, Saudi Arabia. Bahrain's second national carrier said in a statement that it will operate direct flights from Dammam's King Fahad International Airport to Beirut and Khartoum from June 13. Bahrain Air CEO Richard Nuttall said: "This is a great moment in the history of Bahrain Air. The Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia has been a very important market for us, ever since we started operation. "But we can now truly call it our second home as we open up our second hub in Dammam." He praised civil aviation authorities in Saudi Arabia for their support in setting up the new hub to "better serve the needs of the communities in the Eastern Province". Bahrain Air will operate four flights a week to Beirut on Saturdays, Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. The carrier will also operate three flights a week to Khartoum International Airport on Tuesdays Wednesdays, and Sundays. Bahrain Air currently operates flights to two major cities in Saudi Arabia - Riyadh and Jeddah. Last month, the CEO of Bahrain Air said he would be open to a merger with state-backed Gulf Air in a bid to enhance the carriers’ network of flights and overall operational efficiency. In an exclusive interview with Arabian Business, Richard Nuttall said there was an urgent need to solve the problems that both loss-making airlines face, and that a deal between the two carriers had a lot of support in the country. “We are very open to merging with Gulf Air, and can see a number of synergies,” he said.