Bahrain would like to see cooperation with Singapore Airlines

Airline Industry Information, April 8, 2005

AIRLINE INDUSTRY INFORMATION-(C)1997-2005 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD

Bahrain, one of the Gulf states, has called for closer ties between the airline Gulf Air and Singapore Airlines, after an open skies agreement was signed with Singapore.

Singapore and Bahrain signed an open skies agreement earlier this week, under which the countries are allowing unrestricted use of each other's airports, Reuters reported. Bahrain has called for closer cooperation between the two airlines on the Europe-Middle East-Asia route. Gulf Air currently operates this route with 14 flights per week, while Singapore Airlines does not fly to Bahrain at all.

While a representative for Singapore Airlines has said that the carrier has no immediate plans to fly to Bahrain, the country's Transport Minister Yeo Cheow Tong has said that he has asked the airline to "strongly review" such a decision. Bahrain's Transport Minister Sheikh Ali bin Khalifa al-Khalifa said that he would like to see cooperation between the airlines and that he hoped that the Singapore government would convince Singapore Airlines to offer services to Bahrain. The Singapore state owns a 57% stake in Singapore Airlines.

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