Bahrain Air becomes latest MENA member of IATA

The MENA region has a new IATA member. Bahrain Air, the second national carrier of Bahrain, has been accepted as a full member of the International Air Transport Association.

Bahrain Air CEO, Richard Nuttall, said the airline has fulfilled all the required operational and safety standards necessary to qualify for the IATA certificate and has successfully renewed its IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA).

He said: “This is a historical moment for a young airline like Bahrain Air. The path to qualify for IATA membership is highly demanding and requires dedication and discipline. But our team has worked very hard to see this day.

“Going forward, membership of IATA will allow us to build on our distribution and to work with other IATA carriers to provide better connectivity to, from and over Bahrain. At the same time we will have better access to all the services of IATA as we continue to take Bahrain Air to new levels in the future.”

With the well-publicised challenges facing Bahrain’s legacy carrier Gulf Air and its relationship with the government-owner, there has been speculation that Bahrain Air could be playing a greater part in the country’s airline activities either as a part owner or subsidised competitor to the national airline.

The move to be part of IATA adds to the credibility of the value airline.

 Dr Majdi Sabri, IATA's regional vice president for MENA said: “We are pleased to welcome Bahrain Air to the IATA family. It is a growing airline in possibly the most dynamic aviation region of the world. Being an IATA member not only confirms that Bahrain Air conforms to the highest safety standards; it also gives the airline the opportunity, through IATA's activities, to benefit from the latest industry best practices. We look forward to a long and fruitful relationship with the Bahrain Air," he said.

Article Source : Arabian Aerospace