British Airways is facing a backlash after axing flights to two of the UK’s most important allies in the Middle East.
The flag carrier is scrapping direct services to Bahrain and Kuwait, Gulf states with long-standing ties to Britain, after nearly a century in a move branded ‘madness’ by local officials.
Dr Liam Fox, who served as defence secretary under David Cameron, told the Mail that BA’s move would send ‘totally the wrong message’ about Britain’s diplomatic intentions while also harming UK business interests in the region.
‘At a time when the Gulf is becoming much more important geopolitically and we are attempting to negotiate new trade agreements in the region, this would be a blow to UK PLC,’ he said.
‘It’s the worst possible decision at the worst possible time.’
British Airways is facing a backlash after axeing flights to two of the UK’s most important allies in the Middle East
The flag carrier is scrapping direct services to Bahrain (pictured: capital Manama) and Kuwait
Former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith called on the Government to step in to try to defuse the growing diplomatic crisis.
‘BA is a private company and it is their ultimate decision,’ he said. But he added: ‘There must be a way for the Government to remediate this.’
BA has decided that flights to the two Gulf states are no longer commercially viable, leaving staff who have served on the routes at risk of losing their jobs.
It comes as the airline struggles with ongoing issues with the Rolls Royce-manufactured jet engines that power its fleet of Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft.
BA is owned by Anglo-Spanish conglomerate IAG, which also controls carriers Iberia, Aer Lingus, Vueling and Level.
BA currently operates at least one direct flight from London to both Kuwait and the Bahraini capital Manama per day.
The move to scrap the routes has sparked concerns that the UK’s global influence could be reduced while straining relations with allies in the region. Bahrain is home to a Royal Navy base at the Mina Salman Port.
BA currently operates at least one direct flight from London to both Kuwait (pictured: capital Kuwait City) and the Bahraini capital Manama per day
Bahraini officials are also said to be angered by the fact that they were not consulted by BA before it decided to scrap the routes.
A source close to the Bahraini government said: ‘It’s madness when you have a British Navy base here and with the strength of the relationship.’
The routes are expected to be cut in late March, just weeks before the start of the Bahrain Grand Prix, a major event in the Formula One racing calendar that brings thousands of fans to the island nation.
In a statement, BA said: ‘We’re disappointed that we’ve had to make further changes to our schedule as we continue to experience delays to the delivery of engines and parts from Rolls-Royce.
‘We’ve taken this action because we do not believe the issue will be solved quickly, and we want to offer our customers the certainty they deserve for their travel plans.’
The Bahrain Airport Company, which runs the country’s only international airport, said there had been ‘no discussion’ around BA’s decision to axe the route despite its long-standing relationship with the travel hub.
The state-owned firm said it was ‘disappointed’ by the move but hoped BA’s position could be ‘reassessed’ and that it would look into ‘all options to increase flight capacity and frequency between Bahrain and the UK’.
Imperial Airways, a predecessor to BA, launched flights to Bahrain in October 1932, marking the company’s first service to the Middle East. It was a transit flight from London to New Delhi operated by a Handley Page HP-42 aircraft named ‘Hannibal’.
Since then, BA has provided flights to Bahrain and Kuwait for 92 years and 63 years, respectively.
Bahrain was a British protectorate for more than 100 years before it gained independence in 1971. Meanwhile, Kuwait became a British protectorate in 1899 and achieved independence in 1961.
The two countries have maintained deep ties with the UK, particularly in business.
London-based Standard Chartered was the first bank to set up shop in Bahrain in 1920 and helped establish it as a key financial centre in the region.
Bahrain also plays host to the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet as well as the Royal Navy base. It is the only Gulf country that is formally part of the US-UK coalition to protect shipping in the Red Sea following attacks by Iranian-backed Houthi rebels from Yemen in response to the conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
In the UK, Bahrain’s sovereign wealth fund, the Mumtalakat, owns Woking-based racing car maker McLaren. The Mail on Sunday reported earlier this year that the fund was planning to expand its British holdings through a series of investments, including in the north of England.
Britain is currently in the middle of negotiations with the Gulf Cooperation Council, a trade bloc that consists of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, to sign a free trade deal that could be worth £23.5billion a year.
Combined, they make up the UK’s fourth largest export market behind the US, the EU and China.