Gulf Air lays off 200 employees after bookings slump
Gulf Air stated it has laid off 200 employees after bookings declined by 25-30% in the five months to May-2011 due to political unrest in Bahrain and the MENA region (Reuters/Bloomberg/AME Info, 30-May-2011). "Due to the situation in the region as a whole as well as the Kingdom of Bahrain, Gulf Air witnessed a 25% drop in bookings in the first five months of 2011," the carrier said. Some 100 of the laid-off employees have appealed the decision at an internal appeals committee and 11 were reinstated. The lay-offs took place over the past six weeks. Gulf Air had cancelled flights on the back of the unrest, including to Iran and Iraq. Since the beginning of May-2011, the airline has seen "an upturn in reservations" and expects the trend to continue with summer bookings.