Hundreds of passengers from Bahrain continue to fly to Egypt despite the violent unrest that has gripped the country, said airport officials.

Dozens have been killed and thousands wounded in clashes sparked by protests against President Hosni Mubarak in Cairo and other major cities, but Gulf Air has flown more than 380 passengers to Cairo in the last three days, the majority of who were Egyptians and Arab businessmen.

A total of 147 passengers left yesterday on board Gulf Air flight GF071. They included Aziz Al Yahia, an Egyptian based in Bahrain, who has a clothing store in Cairo.

"I know the situation is bad. But I have to ensure my business is safe and need to travel. This is a source of income for my family," said Yahia.

"We see all these protests and tanks on television and get scared. I also have distant relatives in Cairo caught in the middle of this tense situation. I am concerned and intend to meet them."

A total of 155 passengers also flew to the Egyptian capital on Gulf Air on Tuesday, along with another 80 on Wednesday.

"I am going to meet my family in Cairo and will try to bring them back or shift to a safer location," said another Egyptian passenger, who did not want to be named.

"I hope things will improve in the coming days as it has affected the Egyptian community.

"Earlier, I could not even talk to my wife with all communication channels blocked. I spoke with her finally and she is fine."

Meanwhile, an official from Egypt Air office said its flights had been cancelled as they were still waiting for their aircraft to return from Cairo International Airport.

Bahrain Air operates flights to Alexandria's Borg El Arab Airport and Al Nozha, with its next flight scheduled to fly today. It is expected to depart from Alexandria at 2.45pm and arrive in Bahrain at 6.30pm.

Gulf Air last week brought back more than 150 Bahrainis in a special flight as part of a mass evacuation from Cairo.

"As the national carrier of Bahrain it is our responsibility to ensure that our Bahraini nationals are brought back home," said airline chief executive officer Samer Majali. He added they were co-operating with the Foreign Ministry and Civil Aviation Authority to evacuate Bahrainis.-TradeArabia News Service