Over 230 Young Bahrainis Finish Gulf Air and BAC Talent Schemes

More than 230 students and young people have completed a set of development programmes run by Gulf Air and Bahrain Airport Company (BAC), the operator of Bahrain International Airport. The two companies announced the results on 23 September 2026.

The programmes ran in recent months. They range from university placements that count towards a degree to short introductions for school pupils.

What the programmes covered

The largest scheme was a two-month Summer Internship Programme for 135 university students. The placement was part of their graduation requirements and gave them practical work in different areas of the aviation business.

The second edition of the FLY Summer Internship Programme hosted 39 Bahraini school students for two weeks. They took part in workshops, training sessions and site visits to see how core aviation operations work and what jobs the industry offers.

A separate Social Work Programme gave 60 participants experience of a professional workplace. Together, the three programmes come to 234 people.

Gulf Air also launched I CAMP with INJAZ Bahrain. This summer programme is aimed at young Bahrainis, including the next generation of its employees’ families, and focuses on creativity, learning and career exploration.

Mohamed Matar, Chief People Officer of Gulf Air Group, linked the schemes to the Kingdom’s future workforce needs. He described investing in young talent as investing in Bahrain’s future.

Part of a longer pipeline

The summer programmes sit at the front of a longer training pipeline in Bahrain, which also covers licensed flight-deck and engineering jobs. In August 2024, the Labour Fund (Tamkeen) signed two agreements with Gulf Air to support training for 50 Bahrainis as second officers and 24 in aviation engineering. Tamkeen described the deal as a continuation of several years of joint work aimed at creating skilled jobs for nationals.

Internships and school outreach serve a different purpose from cadet schemes. They let students try out airport and airline work before they choose a course of study or a career, which can help build interest in the specialist routes that follow.

How Bahrain compares

Neighbouring carriers are also running national-talent campaigns. The Emirates Group took a large stand at Ru’ya Careers UAE in Dubai from 28 to 30 September 2026, showing programmes from its National Cadet Pilot Programme to school-leaver and internship routes. In Saudi Arabia, flynas started exams on 12 September for a Future Pilots intake planned at 300 trainees.

Bahrain’s programmes run on a smaller scale and focus on students rather than licensed roles. They still brought 234 participants through one airline and one airport operator in a single season.