Taking flight

Contingency plans are being put in place to ensure essential employees can get to their places of work and are not caught up in, or delayed, by possible demonstrations threatened to be staged next week.

Anti-government protesters have continued to cause havoc in and around villages, staged increasingly violent attacks on police and expats in recent days despite calls for calm and unity from community leaders.

Air traffic controllers in Bahrain, for example, have been offered hotel accommodation from February 12 with their families closer to Bahrain International Airport than their homes, which are scattered across the island.

One expat air traffic controller told GulfWeekly: “It makes sense as we cannot take the risk of being caught up and delayed by protests and police responses which often lead to traffic jams.

“It’s a bit inconvenient moving everyone to the hotel because we still have to get the kids to school but we’re treating it as a short-break family holiday. It’s better to be safe than sorry.”

Air traffic controllers, numbering around 90, work for Serco, a UK-based international service provider, in strict shift patterns and some live in compounds close to hotspots which have seen regular disturbances involving youths throwing stones and Molotov cocktails at police who respond with teargas.

Although the company declined to officially comment, it comes under the Civil Aviation Authority’s jurisdiction and a spokesman said it was ‘always cautious’ when it comes to planning ahead.

Companies based in Bahrain and the authorities are hoping the next few days will pass off peacefully despite threats of renewed street protests to coincide with the anniversary of the start of last year’s unrest.

Various organisations contacted by GulfWeekly say they have business contingency plans in readiness should they need to be invoked.
 
The air traffic controllers have been booked into the Elite Resort & Spa Bahrain but it is not the only hotel likely to be booked solidly over this period.

Few rooms remain available at the Mövenpick Bahrain which experienced chaotic scenes during the height of the unrest and subsequent arrival of the Peninsula Shield Force when a State of National Safety was declared.

Expats flooded to the hotel opposite the airport in such great numbers that its ballroom had to be transformed into an emergency dormitory as general manager Heinz Kraehenbuehl slept in his office after finding a 200-strong crowd in the lobby as he arrived at work on March 17.

Mr Kraehenbuehl said: “Bookings are far higher than is usual at this time of year. Some guests have booked rooms so that they can be near the airport should the need arise and I am aware of a number of airlines that have booked pilots in so that they will have no trouble reaching the airport.”

The hotel has increased security for the coming days ahead and extra food has been ordered to ensure that it does not run out of supplies.

A nervous disquiet has descended on the expat community after British expat Peter Morrissey was attacked by a sword-wielding thug in Karranah last week.

He is now recovering in Salmaniya Medical Complex after losing two fingers in the incident. Mr Morrissey, who lives in Bahrain but works in Saudi Arabia, is in a ‘stable condition’ and declined to comment on the incident although he appeared to be in reasonable spirits when GulfWeekly met with him on Sunday.

Sat alone in a private room, Mr Morrissey, hand in cast, seemed sombre but resolute. He said he was more worried about his family back in the UK and causing them undue concern. His room was relatively sparse, unadorned with gifts of flowers or get-well cards.