British Airways has reversed a decision to cancel flights to Bahrain, a route it had previously said was no longer commercially viable.
Last week, the UK airline announced plans to pull daily flights to Bahrain and Kuwait from its schedule by the end of the first quarter of 2025 due to Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engine issues on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner fleet.
The move caused an international outcry, angering politicians in the UK, as well as the Bahraini government, who said they had not been consulted before the decision was made. This happened while Bahrain's King Hamad was in the UK being hosted by King Charles III as the Gulf monarch marks his silver jubilee year.
In a U-turn on Tuesday night, however, the British flag carrier said it would operate a direct service between London and Bahrain three times a week from the start of the summer season in 2025. Instead of a reduction, this will amount to an increase in daily services from next winter.
Flights to Kuwait will still be suspended as previously planned, although the decision remains “under review”, the airline said.
“The London-Bahrain route has long been a cornerstone of connectivity between the United Kingdom and Bahrain, fostering deep bonds of friendship, economic exchange and cultural enrichment,” the Bahrain Airport Company said in a statement seen by The National.
“British Airways’ decision to maintain its commitment to Bahrain underscores the enduring strength of the bilateral relationship between the two nations. This partnership not only fuels economic growth and unlocks commercial opportunities but also enhances convenience and connectivity for travellers on both sides.”
Stanley Szecowka, managing editor of Bahrain’s national newspaper Gulf Daily News and creator of a petition to convince British Airways to keep the route, told The National it was “wonderful news”. “Hopefully our campaign helped,” he said.
A historic connection
Mr Szecowka previously told The National that the move did not make financial sense as it's a very popular route. “We have gold card BA members who have been travelling on the airline for 46 years, every year, and said they’ve never seen an empty flight,” he said. “When I go home [to the UK], as I go back once a year to see family, half the people in the queue are American serviceman getting the next flight on to the US.”
Dr Liam Fox, who served as defence secretary under former British prime minister David Cameron, also told the Daily Mail that cancelling the route would send “totally the wrong message”.
“At a time when the Gulf is becoming much more important geopolitically and we are attempting to negotiate new trade agreements in the region, this would be a blow to UK PLC,” he said. “It’s the worst possible decision at the worst possible time.”
Bahrain was a British protectorate for more than 100 years, gaining independence in 1971, and the two nations have maintained close ties, particularly in business. The island kingdom also hosts the only Royal Navy base in the region.
British Airways has been flying between Bahrain and London for 92 years. Imperial Airways, British Airways’ predecessor, flew to the island in 1932, with a transit flight from London to New Delhi, marking the company’s first entry into the Middle East.
On January 21, 1976, Concorde’s first commercial flight, BA300, was from London Heathrow to Bahrain International Airport.
