Twelve new routes have been added by various airlines operating out of Bahrain International Airport (BIA), bringing BIA’s total number of destinations up to 53, said a report.

BIA also recently welcomed the arrival of Azerbaijan’s flag carrier, Azerbaijan Airlines, following the commencement of its direct service between Baku and Bahrain. The airline now operates a service twice a week between Heydar Aliyev International Airport and BIA, local news agency BNA reported.

As part of its new corporate strategy and network expansion, Gulf Air has added eight new routes. It now operates direct services to Bangalore (India), Calicut (India), Abha (Saudi Arabia), Tubuk (Saudi Arabia), Alexandria (Egypt), Sharm El Shaikh (Egypt), Baku (Azerbaijan), and Casablanca (Morocco).
Meanwhile, Atlas Global has added new routes from Bahrain to Izmir, Antalya, and Trabzon, Turkey. Turkish Airlines has also added Trabzon to its list destinations, the report said.

BAC Chief Commercial Officer, Ayman Zainal, said: “Improvements being made to BIA’s facilities, infrastructure, and services as part of the Airport Modernisation Programme have given airlines the confidence to expand their networks out of BIA. We expect to see even further growth once the new Passenger Terminal Building opens and BIA’s capacity increases to 14 million passengers a year. These exciting new routes offer travellers a wider variety of destinations to choose from and reaffirm BIA’s position as a key aviation hub in the region.”

He added: “We are especially proud to welcome the arrival of Azerbaijan Airlines. Azerbaijan is becoming an increasingly popular destination for GCC tourists following the recent simplification of its visa processing system. Likewise, it is now possible for Azerbaijani nationals to obtain a Bahrain visa by applying online, which has resulted in a marked increase in visitors.”

Last year saw a marked increase in new airlines operating out of BIA, including Ethiopian Airlines, Atlas Global Airlines, and Wataniya Airways.