Strong summer demand has propelled Gulf Air realise an almost break-even situation with operating losses of only BD42,000 ($110,716) and a bottom line of BD200,000 ($527,200) net loss, a report said.

The national carrier of Bahrain released its August results which, following record summer travel demand, reflect a major turnaround month for the airline, reported the Gulf Daily News, our sister publication.

Alongside the dramatically enhanced financial results for the month of August, the carrier recorded a higher seat factor while also delivering 25 per cent higher revenue than last year.

The results follow recent positive developments implemented by the airline which saw its network enhanced in June this year with the resumption of operations to Athens and permanent schedule increases on flights between Bahrain and Cairo (from 10 to 12 flights per week), since July 23, and between Bahrain and Kuwait (from 40 to 42 flights per week), since July 28, all catering to high passenger demand, the report said.

Gulf Air's summer 2014 schedule also provided additional flights during the holiday season between Bahrain and the popular destinations of Istanbul, Larnaca, Amman, Beirut and Bangkok.

In tandem the airline welcomed the arrival of its first revamped A330 product in July featuring fully-flat bed seats in the airline's Falcon Gold Class, upgraded seats in Economy Class and a state-of-the-art in-flight-entertainment system throughout.

'We see signs that our strategy is enhancing bottom line performance and our national carrier's positive performance, in conjunction with high travel demand, has delivered strong August results that mark a significant milestone in the airline's history,' acting chief executive Maher Salman Al Musallam.

'These results are a dramatic improvement on earlier performance over the past ten years or more and a reflection of the ongoing efforts, commitment and drive of each member of the Gulf Air family.

'Month by month we are continuing to improve, continuing to strengthen and continuing to transform our airline.'

As a key national infrastructure asset and an integral part of the local economy, Gulf Air is a performance-driven airline with clear goals to become an efficient, commercially sustainable business that supports the Bahrain's economy and helps attract investment.

Gulf Air anticipates further positive developments during 2014 bringing the national carrier closer to achieving a positive bottom line performance. – TradeArabia News Service