Low cost carrier Bahrain Air plans to increase its passenger numbers to one million in 2010 by adding new destinations, and aims to break even in 2011.  Bahrain Air’s managing director said the airline carried about 750,000 passengers during 2009, about 200,000 less than its initial forecast. 

Ibrahim Alhamer explained that although there is passenger growth in the Middle East, “there is a lot of capacity being offered in the markets by start-ups and existing airlines adding more frequencies to protect their market share.”  Alhamer said he believes 2010 will be just as difficult at 2009, and airlines will have to work hard to keep their market share and sustain operations.  Bahrain Air will add Dhaka and Chittagong in Bangladesh, and Istanbul in Turkey as destinations in 2010, and this will help the airline achieve its goal of one million passengers.