THE 75th anniversary of British Airways flights to the Gulf was celebrated by an event at the British Embassy in Manama.

British Airways' flights to the Gulf date back to 1932 and the pre-World War II services featured flying boat operations, run by predecessor airline, Imperial Airways that continued into the post-war years.

BOAC, another of the British Airways predecessor airlines, launched a Bristol Britannia service in 1959 which served a number of Gulf destinations, including Bahrain.

British Ambassador Jamie Bowden, host of the joint Embassy and British Airways reception, said: "That first flight 75 years ago was of historical significance, laying the path for what was to become the route between two of the most important transport hubs in the world.

"It confirmed Bahrain's position as a key link between East and West, a position it first held many centuries ago in the era of Dilmun.

"A little over 30 years ago there was another historical flight between London and Bahrain - the first scheduled flight by a British Airways Concorde.

"Both of these flights symbolized the uniquely close relationship between Bahrain and the United Kingdom."

Amanda Ball, British Airways' service delivery manager, Middle East said: "It is indeed a great moment to celebrate and recall British Airways services to the Gulf, reflecting our long commitment to the region.

"The link between Bahrain and Britain is accentuated with our daily service between Manama and Heathrow.

"Our regular fliers appreciate the uniquely British qualities of British Airways, which sets us apart in the airline industry.

"We are firmly committed to the service, which provides a vital link for both businessmen and tourists travelling between the two capitals."

Ambassador Bowden added: "I am very proud that throughout the past three quarters of a century the relationship between Bahrain and Britain has remained so strong, and is today as warm as ever. And that for British Airways, the route between Bahrain and London continues to remain of such importance."

"This service milestone highlights British Airways' long-standing regional commitment to the Gulf," said Paul Starrs, British Airways' commercial manager for the Middle East.

"Times have changed a little during the last three quarters of a century - we no longer use a special flying boat service that requires 10 stop-overs - and from their own doorstep our passengers can now access every corner of the world by utilising our global network of over 140 destinations in more than 70 countries, making us the industry leader."

In 1937, the first commercial Imperial Airways' flight from the UK to Dubai, which left Southampton in the south of England - zigzagged its way across Europe taking in Marseilles, Rome, Brindisi and Athens before crossing the Mediterranean to land in Alexandria, Egypt.

During these pre-WWII times, the C Class, VC 10 flying boat then left North Africa and crossed the Sea of Galilee to land in Tiberias, before refuelling again in Habbiniyeh and Basra in what is now modern-day Iraq, en-route to Bahrain and then Dubai.

"It's amazing to think how far aviation has come in 75 years, where now we see new airlines popping up almost every day in what is a multi-billion dollar a year global industry," added Mr Starrs.

More recently, British Airways says it demonstrated its unwavering support to the region by being the first European airline to resume flights to the Middle East after the Gulf War in 1991, and to Beirut in 2006.