Capital A signs LoI to establish Bahrain as Middle East hub

Capital A signed (03-Nov-2025) a Letter of Intent (LoI) with Bahrain's Ministry of Transportation and Telecommunications to explore establishing Bahrain as AirAsia's hub in the Middle East. Details include:

• AirAsia will explore launching services from Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines and Indonesia to Bahrain over the next five years, with onward connectivity to Europe and the US. The group will also evaluate establishing a Bahrain-based AOC to operate narrowbody aircraft into cities in the Middle East, Central Asia, Africa and Europe;
• By 2030, AirAsia expects to operate over 25 daily flights via Bahrain, carrying over 20 million passengers over the next five years and contributing an estimated BHD3 billion to Bahrain's economy;
• The expansion is expected to support over 100,000 jobs across the aviation and services ecosystem. A multi year talent development programme will train and employ Bahraini nationals across pilot, crew, engineering and ground roles, with over 1000 hires targeted in the first year to support Bahrain's economic advancement;
• Asia Digital Engineering plans to construct a facility in Bahrain including hangars and workshops which can service narrowbody and widebody aircraft. The facility will include training programmes for Airbus and Boeing aircraft;
• Teleport plans to base dedicated freighters in Bahrain to enhance connectivity for the Middle East, Europe, Africa and the CIS. This will enable Teleport to expand its international network, and facilitate e-commerce flows between Asia, the Middle East and beyond. [more - original PR]