AirAsia Group has reaffirmed its commitment to the airline’s delayed new Bahrain hub with the appointment of a seven-person board.
On November 1, 2026, AirAsia said that the announcement marked “another milestone in establishing Bahrain as the Group’s strategic hub linking Asia with the Middle East, Europe and Australia”.
AirAsia initially unveiled plans to establish Bahrain as its first hub outside Asia in February 2026, along with plans for flights between Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL), Bahrain International Airport (BAH), and London-Gatwick Airport (LGW) starting in June 2026.
However, conflict and airspace restrictions within the Middle East and Gulf regions disrupted the original operating plans.
In its latest announcement Air Asia said it is targeting the commencement of flights to Bahrain by March 2027, as conditions allow, adding that the group “continue to monitor developments in the region closely”.
“Bahrain is strategically important to us as the gateway connecting Asean with the Middle East, Europe and beyond.,” Tony Fernandes, CEO of Capital A and Advisor to AirAsia Group, said: “While the geopolitical situation in the region has required us to adjust our initial plans, our commitment to Bahrain has not changed. Today’s appointment of the AirAsia Bahrain Board, with such a distinguished group of leaders, solidifies that commitment. We are here, and we are here for the long term.”
The Bahrain board will be chaired by Serra Kirdar, with Dato’ Fam Lee Ee as vice chairman. The other members include Faisal Khalid Kanoo, Nawaf Al Zayani, Akram Safa, Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, and Tan Sri Jamaludin Ibrahim. All are non-executive directors.
Additional AirAsia plans for Bahrain
AirAsia also intends to develop MRO capabilities in Bahrain through Asia Digital Engineering (ADE).
“[ADE will] serve not only AirAsia but other carriers in the region, creating high-value engineering jobs, building local technical expertise and strengthening Bahrain’s position as an aviation hub,” Fernandes added.
AirAsia’s logistics arm Teleport has also maintained twice-weekly freighter services into Bahrain since February 2026 and is now scaling up capacity with larger freighter aircraft.