For the first time in its history, Dammam Airport now has up to three daily flights to London Heathrow as the conflict in West Asia redraws airline networks.

Indeed, the current situation is temporary: Gulf Air and Kuwait Airways have redirected their capacity from their respective hubs to Dammam, while Saudia’s regular service to London will end soon.

Dammam has emerged as an ideal interim solution for carriers in the region. Located in the North of Saudi Arabia, its proximity to both Bahrain and Kuwait (albeit to a much lesser extent) has allowed the national airlines of both countries to maintain their limited schedules.

There are now 3 daily flights to London from Dammam

Saudia, Gulf Air and Kuwait Airways now all offer regular flights to London from Dammam.

All airlines fly on Saturday, meaning once a week London sees three daily services from Dammam.

Gulf Air’s interim hub in Dammam

Gulf Air is using Dammam as an interim hub as Bahraini airspace remains closed. The country’s Civil Aviation Authority has mandated a ban on all flight operations, meaning Bahrain International Airport is currently not open.

The Authority has not indicated when the airspace might reopen, arguing that it would do so once deemed safe. Bahrain has been particularly impacted by the Iran war as it hosts the US Navy’s 5th fleet. Since the start of the war, two have been killed in Bahrain and a further 50 injured.

Gulf Air provides a ground shuttle to passengers from Bahrain to Dammam, taking roughly 1.5 hours with pick up and drop off at the Bahraini International Exhibition and Convention Centre rather than the airport (since it is closed). When booking, ticket prices include both the shuttle service and a Saudi transit visa.

Kuwait Airways shifts capacity to Dammam

Similarly to Gulf Air, Kuwait Airways now bases part of its fleet in Dammam for its short and long-haul operations. It also provides ground transportation from Kuwait to Dammam, though the distance is considerably longer. Passengers are required to complete check-in procedures at the Al Khairan Mall in Kuwait. Eight hours prior to departure, bus transfers leave the mall for Dammam.

Bus timings are scheduled based on flight departures, the company says. Passengers who wish to make their own way to Dammam are allowed to do so, provided they have collected their boarding pass from the Mall.

To suspend or not to suspend: Saudia’s Dammam-London conundrum

Saudi Arabian Airlines resumed the route in November, marking its return after a 15-year hiatus. It uses a Boeing 787 on the route, operating thrice-weekly. It caters to higher-yielding oil and gas industry traffic and Visiting Friends & Relatives (VFR) traffic to a lesser extent.

As we reported last month, Saudia removed the route from schedules entirely from mid-April. This was also reflected in booking systems. However, this week the carrier has reopened reservations for April and May, but nothing beyond that is currently available.

Featured image: Matteo Ceruti | stock.adobe.com

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