AirAsia has appointed a board of directors for its planned Bahrain-based airline and said it is targeting the start of flights to the kingdom by March 2027, “as conditions allow”.

The company said in a press release on Sunday that the appointment reaffirms its long-term commitment to Bahrain, which it is positioning as a hub linking Asia with the Middle East, Europe and Australia.

Dr Serra Kirdar will chair the AirAsia Bahrain board, with Dato’ Fam Lee Ee as vice chairman. The other members are Dr Faisal Khalid Kanoo, Nawaf Al Zayani, Akram Safa, Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon and Tan Sri Jamaludin Ibrahim. All are non-executive directors.

The move follows a Letter of Intent signed in November 2025 between Capital A and Bahrain’s Ministry of Transportation and Telecommunications. It also follows AirAsia’s February 2026 announcement naming Bahrain as its Middle East hub.

Tony Fernandes, CEO of Capital A and Advisor to AirAsia Group, said the regional geopolitical situation had forced the group to adjust its initial plans, but its commitment had not changed.

“Bahrain is strategically important to us as the gateway connecting Asean with the Middle East, Europe and beyond,” he said. “We continue to monitor developments in the region closely and are targeting the commencement of AirAsia flights to Bahrain by March 2027, as conditions allow.”

Fernandes said the group also plans to support Bahrain’s wider aviation sector through other Capital A businesses. Through Asia Digital Engineering (ADE), it intends to develop maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) capabilities in the kingdom that would serve AirAsia and other regional carriers, he said.

He said Teleport, Capital A’s logistics arm, has operated twice-weekly freighter services into Bahrain since February 2026 and is now increasing capacity with larger freighter aircraft.

Fernandes thanked the Bahraini government for its support, noting that AirAsia had been awarded a “Golden License”.

Kirdar said she was honoured to be appointed chairperson. “AirAsia has transformed air travel across Asia by making it accessible to millions, and I believe it can do the same for Bahrain and the wider region,” she said.

She said the venture could strengthen tourism and trade links between the Gulf and Asia and create jobs and training opportunities for Bahrainis.

Source: PR