After a nearly total shutdown lasting almost 40 days, triggered by the Iran-linked conflict, Bahrain reopened its airspace on 8 April, allowing operations at Bahrain International Airport to resume in phases.

The restart is deliberately gradual, with Bahrain’s Civil Aviation Affairs (CAA) and the airlines prioritising safety and operational stability. Limited schedules have been added as routes are progressively reinstated across the Gulf.

Посмотреть эту публикацию в Instagram

Публикация от Gulf Air (@gulfair)

Khalid Taqi, Chairman of the Gulf Air Group, said the airline was “pleased to resume limited operations at Bahrain International Airport and looks forward to progressively restoring its full network”.

Airport operations teams are rescheduling flights to accommodate slot availability, ensure crew duty limits are met and manage gate capacity. Ground handling resources are being aligned with each wave of returning flights.

During the suspension period, the CAA oversaw contingency measures, including the repositioning of empty aircraft, to enable the swift resumption of operations once the airspace reopened.

Airlines operating through Bahrain continue to face knock-on disruption, particularly on Gulf and South Asia routes that rely on tight turnarounds and short transfer windows. Even minor delays can have a knock-on effect on multiple flights, as was seen this morning when a Gulf Air service from Cairo to Dammam was cancelled.

Travellers are advised to check with their airline directly before heading to the airport, as schedules are still subject to last-minute changes.

Gulf Air's network from Bahrain International Airport. Book now: https://t.co/2DiQn6F7fT pic.twitter.com/YYlUkbXesl

— Gulf Air (@GulfAir) April 12, 2026

Gulf Air has confirmed that it is gradually resuming its flights from Bahrain International Airport, while continuing to operate a temporary network from King Fahd International Airport in Dammam. During the shutdown, the airline rerouted its operations through Saudi Arabia to maintain a minimum level of service.

The first Gulf Air aircraft returned to Bahrain on 8 April. Since then, the airline has restarted flights to a limited number of destinations, including London Heathrow, Riyadh, Jeddah, Dubai, Dhaka, Lahore, Islamabad, Nairobi and Istanbul, with a focus on high-demand routes.

Посмотреть эту публикацию в Instagram

Публикация от Gulf Air (@gulfair)

Meanwhile, Gulf Air has maintained parallel operations from Dammam, continuing to serve destinations such as Athens, Cairo, Casablanca, Mumbai, Chennai, Kochi, Bangkok and Manila.

However, relying on Dammam is not without challenges. The King Fahd Causeway, the main road link between Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, has faced temporary closures and could see further disruption, according to the UK Foreign Office.

Although bookings from Bahrain have resumed, the airline is still offering full refunds for tickets issued up to 15 April in light of the ongoing uncertainty. Flight frequencies remain limited for now and are expected to increase gradually depending on operational conditions and the stability of regional airspace.

Bahrain has been directly impacted by the conflict, with Iranian missiles and drones targeting the country since hostilities began following the joint US-Israeli strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities. These attacks have prompted widespread airspace closures across the region for security reasons.

At least two people have been killed in separate incidents, including a strike on a residential building in the capital, Manama, according to Bahrain’s interior ministry.

While the gradual reopening marks a welcome step towards normality, the coming days will be critical in determining its success, given that the aviation sector remains acutely dependent on any escalation in regional tensions.

L’article Bahrain flights resume slowly as airspace reopens amid fragile ceasefire est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

Marking the first time the Forum is held in the Middle East, the event will bring together global leaders, policymakers, industry experts, and chefs, and aims to shine a light on what it called in a press release “the transformative power of gastronomy tourism in advancing economic resilience, inclusivity, sustainability, and building a strong image for destinations.”

Посмотреть эту публикацию в Instagram

Публикация от UN Tourism (@unwto)

Bahrain’s unique culinary traditions

Live cooking demonstrations by Bahraini chefs will offer participants an immersive experience of Bahrain’s unique culinary traditions, while side activities will allow participants to explore the country’s rich cultural and historical heritage. But the event is not all about Bahrain.

Co-organized with the Basque Culinary Center (BCC) and hosted by the Kingdom of Bahrain, sessions between tourism ministers from the Middle East and around the world will be joined by international award-winning chefs, and industry stakeholders such as Tim Brooke-Webb, Managing Director of the restaurant ranking and awards list, 50 Best.

Focus on sustainability

Holding gastronomy up as a “fundamental cultural, economic, and creative force”, the event will focus on sustainable initiatives with an emphasis on product quality and origins, such as Jordan’s “From Farm to Fork” that has promoted awareness of Jordanian extra virgin olive oil. Biodiversity and “traditional savoir-faire” will also be topics on the table, with France’s Collège Culinaire and Spain’s Grupo Sargardi, recognised for preserving and building on gastronomic roots “to offer authentic, high-quality culinary experiences.”

Посмотреть эту публикацию в Instagram

Публикация от Visit Bahrain (@visitbahrain.bh)

Also under the main banner of sustainability, masterclasses will also look at reducing food waste, integrating circular economy principles, and promoting local provenance.

Branding and innovation

Other discussions set to be attended by experts from the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the global Slow Food movement, and the Creative Tourism Network, will include how to leverage intangible cultural heritage and how to manage intellectual property and branding.

Innovation will also be “a key pillar of the event”, organisers say, with a lens on tech and on new solutions to industry challenges. A Meta-led session will explore how social media and technology might reshape gastronomy tourism, alongside the final of the 4^th UN Tourism Global Gastronomy Tourism Startup Competition, where startups from around the world will share their approaches.

L’article Bahrain set to welcome 9th UN Tourism Forum on gastronomy est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.