Gulf Air carries 8 percent fewer passengers in Q1 2012

Bahrain’s state-owned carrier Gulf Air recently announced its passenger traffic results for the first quarter of 2012. The airline disclosed that it carried 8 percent fewer passengers in Q1 2012.

Another Bahraini carrier also showed poor performance. Bahrain Air, a private airline, said that it had to suffer a decline of 21 percent.

However, Bahrain International Airport officials expressed relief at the outcome in Q1 this year. According to officials, passenger traffic at Bahrain International Airport recovered in the first quarter. The officials said that this could become possible after normalcy returned to the Middle East region and Gulf Air flights as well as other carriers resumed normal operations. Last year there was a slump because of the regional unrest which spread to the island nation.

Bahrain’s civil aviation authority said that the total passengers increased 12 percent in Q1 to 2.06 million. The cargo also increased 5 percent to 91,799 tons.

The civil aviation authority officials, however, said that the passenger traffic had declined 12 percent in 2011 and cargo volume also dipped by 13 percent. The officials cited reduced business activity due to the effects of the Arab Spring throughout the region and a reduction in routes served.