Bahrain could lose its role as AirAsia X’s planned intercontinental hub in response to escalating geopolitical tensions in the Gulf.
In February, the Malaysian low-cost airlines group unveiled ambitious plans to turn Bahrain into its first major hub outside its core markets of Southeast Asia. The Gulf kingdom was envisioned as an ideal fifth-freedom hub linking Southeast Asia, Europe, and Africa, with typical flight times ranging from five to seven hours. AirAsia X plans was to base as many as 100 aircraft in Bahrain.
However, those plans have been effectively derailed by the ongoing war between Iran, Israel and its ally, the United States. The complete closure of the Bahraini airspace and wider instability linked to the Iran conflict have made the hub unviable in the short term.
Although AirAsia X chief executive Bo Lingam told a press conference that the Kuala Lumpur-Bahrain-London Gatwick service (planned launch on June 26, 2026) would definitely go ahead if the war ends before that deadline, he declined to say if it would proceed in the event of a protracted conflict.
The war is forcing AirAsia X to rethink its entire long-haul expansion model and have a “Plan B”. And it could be called Istanbul. The airline mulls out to redirecting its European strategy toward Turkey, with Istanbul potentially turning into the new gateway to Europe to replace Bahrain.
AirAsia X is currently pursuing a partnership with a major Turkish carrier to secure extensive onward connectivity across Europe, something Bahrain was originally meant to provide. Behind the “very large Turkish airline” as recently quoted by Capital A CEO Tony Fernandes, is probably Pegasus Airlines. The carrier is Turkey’s largest low-cost airline with its main hub at Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen International Airport. It serves 127 destinations in 33 European countries and in Turkey. AirAsia X started serving last November the airport with four frequencies out of Kuala Lumpur.
