Rumour has it that there was a late bid from a company called Mena Air or similar...anybody ever heard of them? Are they the ones with 1 exec jet at the airport and oh so much experience in running simulator training organisations etc.? Or is this the sindicate made up of ......? Oh well, you know what I mean....
As Sarah Palin would probably say "Folks, we need a change"
, yes indeed we do, if Gulf Air or Bahain want to establish themsleves as an 'internationally' recognised training centre or indeed the recently announced 'internationally recognised aircraft maintenance centre', then they must also realise that they must change the way they do business. The cheap option is usually the worst...furthermore doing MPLs based in a questionable flying school is unlikely to attract many outside the Middle East.
Finally, my point is....lets hope that a joint venture (if there is going to be one) is with someone credible like Oxford or CAE. Well, that is my humble opinion for what it's worth.
Chao