Bahrain Air launches daily, direct Bahrain-Mumbai service

Bahrain Air, that already operates services to Kozhikode and Kochi in the state of Kerala in India, will now run daily, non-stop flights between Bahrain and Mumbai in India making it the carrier’s third flight to India.  Bahrain Air’s Flight 2B517 takes off from Bahrain International Airport at 23.00 hours and arrives at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport 04.40 hours.

In the return direction, Flight 2B518 leaves Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport at 05.30 hours and lands at Bahrain International Airport at 06.50 hours.

All flights, Bahrain Air said in a statement, are subject to government’s approval.

Bart Schellens, Bahrain Air’s director of commercial operations, told reporters that the starting of non-stop flights between Bahrain and Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport was a part of Bahrain Air’s “strategic outlook” for the Indian market.

Bahrain Air is considering starting a ‘loyalty programme’ soon to boost further the growth of load factors, Schellens said.

The airline is at present operating Airbus A319 plane – with a seat capacity of 12 in the premium-class and 120 in the economy-class – on the Mumbai-Bahrain route.

If needed, Bahrain Air will press into service in future Airbus A320 plane, with a seat capacity of 12 in the premium-class and 150 in the economy-class, Schellens added.

Bahrain Air, according to him, offers “affordable fares” in both premium-class and economy-class on the Bahrain-Mumbai route.

Bart Schellens said Bahrain Air had already come to be know as “a well-built brand in the congested and competitive Gulf-India sector” in a rather short period of time thanks to the carrier’s “affordable fares, varieties in-flight entertainment options, and the chance to select and buy from a vast choice of duty-free items” at the airport.

Bahrain Air’s Bahrain-Kochi service, started in May 2008, and the Bahrain-Kozhikode service, launched in April 2009, have registered good growth, Schellens told reporters.

Right now, the airline is holding talks with India’s Ministry of Civil Aviation to raise the frequency of flights on the two routes as well as add more destinations to India.

Bahrain Air, which started commercial operations on February 3, 2008, flies to 18 destinations in the member-countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Africa, the Levant, Iran and the Indian sub-continent.

At present, the airline has 8 Airbus 319 aircraft Airbus and 320 aircraft and will 4 planes to its fleet soon.