Aviation Business Development & Airline Partnerships Lead

Gulf Air Group; Bahrain; On-site; BHD 42,000 - 66,000; Full time

Job summary

Gulf Air Group in Bahrain seeks a Manager – Aviation Business Development to support the Director in driving growth, expanding airline alliances and the airport's route network. You will develop and lead airline engagement, prepare business cases, analyze market trends, and collaborate with Operations, Marketing, Finance and other teams to deliver revenue growth.

This role requires a Bachelor's degree and 6+ years in aviation business development, with strong negotiation, presentation and

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Aviation Management, Economics, Marketing, or related field.
• Minimum of 6 years of experience in aviation business development, airport management, airline relations, or related aviation sectors
• Experience working with airports, airlines, aviation consulting firms, or aviation authorities is preferred
• Strong understanding of airport and airline business models.
• Knowledge of route development principles and aviation market dynamics.
• Excellent analytical and strategic thinking skills.
• Strong stakeholder management and negotiation capabilities.
• Advanced proficiency in Excel and PowerPoint.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills.
• Ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines.

Responsibilities

• Support the Director in executing aviation business development strategies aligned with airport growth objectives and commercial plans.
• Identify and pursue opportunities to expand the airline portfolio, route network and overall connectivity.
• Translate market insights and forecasts into actionable airline development strategies.
• Support annual business planning and long-term aviation growth initiatives in coordination with Market Research and Finance.
• Monitor industry trends, airline strategies and competitive developments to inform commercial positioning.
• Lead development of business cases in collaboration with Market Research & Analysis utilizing the data, modelling and forecasting inputs.
• Assess airline requirements and structure incentive proposals in coordination with relevant internal stakeholders.
• Monitor route performance from a commercial perspective and implement actions to improve retention, performance, and sustainability.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with airlines, alliance groups, aviation authorities, tourism bodies, government entities, and industry partners.
• Conduct regular airline performance assessments and propose ways to improve performance
• Act as the primary commercial point of contact for assigned airline accounts.
• Lead airline engagement, relationship management, and commercial discussions.
• Support negotiations on commercial agreements, incentives, and route development opportunities.
• Conduct regular airline reviews to strengthen partnerships and support long-term retention.
• Drive achievement of passenger growth, connectivity and airline engagement targets.
• Identify commercial opportunities to enhance airline performance and route sustainability.
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders to resolve airline-related commercial issues and improve overall performance.
• Track route outcomes from a commercial delivery perspective and initiate corrective or growth actions where required.

Skills

Excel

PowerPoint

Stakeholder management

Negotiation

Analytical thinking

Presentation skills

Project management

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Aviation Management, Economics, Marketing, or related field

Tools

Excel

PowerPoint

Job description

Gulf Air Group in Bahrain seeks a Manager – Aviation Business Development to support the Director in driving growth, expanding airline alliances and the airport's route network. You will develop and lead airline engagement, prepare business cases, analyze market trends, and collaborate with Operations, Marketing, Finance and other teams to deliver revenue growth.

This role requires a Bachelor's degree and 6+ years in aviation business development, with strong negotiation, presentation and