Category Archives: Gulf Air

Gulf Air expands into China with introduction of flights to Guangzhou and Shanghai

Gulf Air, the Kingdom of Bahrain’s national carrier, will be extending its operations into China in January 2024. In line with its calibrated growth strategy to strengthen its global network and connecting Bahrain with key global destinations under the national Economic Recovery Plan of Bahrain, this strategic move also represents a significant step forward for Gulf Air to bolster its Asia-Pacific presence and support connectivity under the One Belt One Road initiative of China.

Gulf Air’s introduction of flights to Guangzhou and Shanghai will strengthen the bilateral trade and tourism relations of over 30 years. 

The schedule has been built to ensure convenient connections between China and destinations served by Gulf Air in the Middle East and Europe, and between these destinations and China.

The flights will be operated with Boeing 787 Dreamliner and two cabins of service, a business class cabin featuring one of the most spacious premium seats and an economy class cabin with state-of-the-industry seats.

Top Copyright Photo: Gulf Air Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner A9C-FA (msn 39996) PAE (Brian Worthington). Image: 961791.

Gulf Air aircraft photo gallery:

Gulf Air to fly to Tel Aviv

"Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix" logo

Gulf Air, the national carrier of the Kingdom of Bahrain, has announced the launch of its direct flights to Tel Aviv, Israel starting from September 30, 2021 with 2 weekly flights.

The announcement of the airline’s newest destination launch follows the announcement of peace between the Kingdom of Bahrain and the State of Israel and the political, commercial and civil aviation agreements signed last year between the two countries.

Top Copyright Photo: Gulf Air Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner A9C-FD (msn 39983) (Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix) LHR (Andi Hiltl). Image: 955019.

Gulf Air aircraft slide show:

 

Gulf Air extends IATA Travel Pass trial to Dubai, Frankfurt and Paris flights, goes daily to Male, restores Moscow

Gulf Air, the national carrier of the Kingdom of Bahrain, has extended the IATA Travel Pass trial to include more routes after the initial kick-off on flights from Bahrain to Athens, London and Singapore flights. Starting from today, the airline will include flights from Bahrain to Dubai, Frankfurt and Paris flights to the IATA Travel Pass trial project to expand to more passengers and more destinations. Moreover, another milestone will be added to the extended list of destinations in which passengers with non-biometric passports on both iOS and Android devices will be able to take part in the trial to simplify and manage COVID-19 travel requirements and enhance the overall travel experience.

Passengers flying to Athens, Dubai, Frankfurt, London, Paris and Singapore will be able to trial the app which helps passengers easily and securely manage their travel in line with any government requirements for COVID-19 testing or vaccine information. Gulf Air passengers will be able to create a ‘digital passport’ allowing them to match their travel itineraries with the COVID-19 health requirements of their destination country, and validate compliance. Bahrain is one of the first governments to participate in a trial of the IATA Travel Pass with its national carrier to help pave the way for the re-establishment of global connectivity while managing the risks of COVID-19.

Passengers flying from Bahrain can conduct the tests required for their final destination at the following IATA authorized labs to securely send the test results to passengers via the app:

  • American Mission Hospital
  • Bahrain Specialist Hospital
  • Royal Bahrain Hospital
  • Royal Hospital for Women and Children

Passengers flying directly from Bahrain to Athens, Dubai, Frankfurt, London, Paris and Singapore will be notified with instructions on how to sign up to be part of the trial and instructions on how to contact the labs to schedule their tests. Economy class passengers will receive access to the Gulf Air Falcon Gold check-in area and Falcon Gold Lounge at Bahrain International Airport while passengers in Falcon Gold cabin will receive free WiFi on board their flights (when available) as a token of appreciation for their participation.

In other news, Gulf Air, in response to the surging travel demand will increase its direct flights to the Maldives capital, Male, to be daily starting from August 15, 2021. The route has been very popular in the recent months due to the relaxed rules and regulations for passengers to enter the Maldives which led passengers from Bahrain, the GCC and Europe to prefer the destination to many other Indian Ocean choices.

Gulf Air began the summer season with flights to 80% of its pre-pandemic network and it continued to resume operations and restore services to cities of its original 2019 destination network. The airline has also announced that it has successfully launched all of its seasonal destinations for the summer of 2021 with direct flights to Mykonos and Santorini in Greece, Malaga in Spain and Alexandria and Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt as well as recently resuming Tbilisi in Georgia. The airline currently flies to and from Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Kuwait, Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam, Medina, Muscat, Cairo, Amman, Casablanca, London, Paris, Frankfurt, Athens, Istanbul, Tbilisi, Larnaca, Bangkok, Manila, Singapore, Dhaka, Colombo, the Maldives and several destinations in India and Pakistan.

The airline operates all its flights by 100% vaccinated crew including pilots and flight attendants since May 2021 following an internal vaccination campaign for its operating crew and front line staff that began in December 2020 and is proud to be one of the first airlines in the world to able to provide peace of mind to all passengers flying to any destination of its growing network. Moreover, Gulf Air offers complimentary COVID-19 travel insurance coverage to all ticket holders including health and quarantine expenses in the unexpected circumstances of being diagnosed with or contracting COVID-19 during passengers’ journeys. All tickets booked, including redemption tickets, on Gulf Air flights for travel until 10 November 2021 are automatically covered with COVID-19 insurance at no extra cost. All passengers, according to the newly announced insurance policy and in the unfortunate event of being diagnosed with COVID-19 while traveling abroad, will be covered for repatriation assistance, medical and hospitals costs abroad as well as quarantine accommodation costs. Coverage is applicable on Gulf Air operated flights with Gulf Air ticket numbers that are purchased through the airline’s website, the Gulf Air Contact Centre, Gulf Air’s sales offices or travel agents.

Finally, Gulf Air also resumed its direct operations to Moscow Domodedovo International Airport in Russia starting with 2 weekly flights on August 14, 2021.

Gulf Air restores its London route

Gulf Air, the national carrier of the Kingdom of Bahrain, restored its flagship double daily direct passenger flights to London Heathrow in line with the latest decision by the British authorities to add the Kingdom of Bahrain to their Amber List as of August 8, 2021. Being on the amber list will mean that citizens and residents of Bahrain will be able to quarantine at their choice of residence for 10 days as opposed to institutional quarantine for arrivals from red list countries.

Gulf Air began the summer season with flights to 80% of its pre-pandemic network and it continued to resume operations and restore services to cities of its original 2019 destination network. The airline has also announced that it has successfully launched all of its seasonal destinations for the summer of 2021 with direct flights to Mykonos and Santorini in Greece, Malaga in Spain and Alexandria and Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt as well as recently resuming Tbilisi in Georgia. The airline currently flies to and from Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Kuwait, Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam, Medina, Muscat, Cairo, Amman, Casablanca, London, Paris, Frankfurt, Athens, Istanbul, Tbilisi, Larnaca, Bangkok, Manila, Singapore, Dhaka, Colombo, the Maldives and several destinations in India and Pakistan.

Back in May, the airline announced that all its flights would be operated by 100% vaccinated crew including pilots and flight attendants. The airline has started its internal vaccination campaign for its operating crew and front line staff since December 2020 and is proud to be one of the first airlines in the world to able to provide peace of mind to all passengers flying to any destination of its growing network.

Saudia and Gulf Air hold talks to enhance partnership

"Year of Arabia Calligraphy 2021"

Saudi Arabian Airlines (Saudia), the national flag carrier of Saudi Arabia, and Gulf Air, the national carrier of the Kingdom of Bahrain, recently held talks to discuss their close commercial relationships and explore ways to build on the ties by establishing a codeshare agreement.

Being the first two airlines that started operations in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region, Saudia and Gulf Air will cooperate to expand their footprints regionally and internationally by sharing their codes and offering guests the signature warmth of Arabian hospitality.

The codeshare will further enhance seamless travel options for passengers of Saudia and Gulf Air, providing wider choices of domestic destinations in Saudi Arabia and other international destinations across each airline’s network.

Saudia will place its ‘SV’ code on Gulf Air flights from Bahrain to Riyadh, Jeddah, Tbilisi, Sialkot, Faisalabad, Baku, and Multan. On the other hand, the agreement will see Gulf Air place its ‘GF’ code on SAUDIA flights from Riyadh and Jeddah to Bahrain, Abha, Jizan, Yanbu, Aljouf, Ha’il, as well as Tunis–Carthage airports. These codeshare operations will commence from the upcoming summer schedule of 2021.

Saudia’s Al Fursan frequent flyer members traveling with Gulf Air on these routes will be eligible to earn and redeem miles for flights operated by either carrier on their codeshare routes. Similarly, Gulf Air’s Falconflyer members will be able to earn and redeem miles when flying on SAUDIA.

Top Copyright Photo: Saudia (Saudi Arabian Airlines) Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner HZ-ARD (msn 41547) (Year of Arabia Calligraphy 2021) CDG (Manuel Negrerie). Image: 953535.

Saudia aircraft slide show:

Gulf Air resumes flights to Istanbul, will add Tel Aviv

Gulf Air's first Airbus A321neo

Gulf Air, the national carrier of the Kingdom of Bahrain, announces that it will resume its direct operations to Istanbul Airport in Turkey with 2 weekly flights starting from May 11,  2021.

Gulf Air has been operating direct flights between the Kingdom of Bahrain and the Republic of Turkey since 1985 and it is one of the airline’s main regional destinations.

 

The airline currently flies to and from Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Kuwait, Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam, Medina, Muscat, Cairo, Amman, Casablanca, London, Paris, Frankfurt, Athens, Bangkok, Manila, Singapore, Dhaka, Colombo, the Maldives and several destinations in India and Pakistan.

The airline will also boost its services and frequencies to its current network as follows:

  • Cairo: From 6 weekly flights to daily flights
  • Dammam: From 6 weekly flights to double daily flights
  • Riyadh: From 5 weekly flights to daily flights
  • Jeddah: From 4 weekly flights to daily lights
  • Medina: from 3 to 5 weekly flights
  • Sialkot: Resumed with 3 weekly flights
  • Multan: Resumed with 3 weekly flights
  • Athens: From 2 to 3 weekly flights
  • Casablanca: From 1 to 2 weekly flights
  • Faisalabad: Resumed with 2 weekly flights
  • Manila: From 6 weekly flights to daily flights
  • Dubai: From 18 to 21 weekly flights

The carrier is also planning to add Tel Aviv on June 3, 2021.

Top Copyright Photo: Gulf Air Airbus A321-253NX WL D-AYAR (A9C-NA) (msn 9433) XFW (Gerd Beilfuss). Image: 950942.

Gulf Air aircraft slide show:

Gulf Air and El Al Israel Airlines sign an agreement, Tel Aviv service to start on January 7

Gulf Air, the national carrier of the Kingdom of Bahrain, and El Al Airlines, Israel’s national airline, are set to embark on a historic collaboration following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) during an official visit from the Kingdom of Bahrain to the State of Israel. The MOU was signed at the Hilton Tel Aviv by the Chairman of Gulf Air’s Board of Directors H.E. Mr. Zayed R. Alzayani and the Chairman of EL AL Airlines’ Board of Directors Mr. David Brodet. H.E. Mr. Alzayani also announced at the ceremony the launch of Gulf Air’s direct flights go Tel Aviv starting from, January 7, 2021 – subject to government approvals – with 2 weekly flights. The MOU signing and the announcement of the airline’s newest destination launch follows the recent announcement of peace between the Kingdom of Bahrain and the State of Israel and the political, commercial and civil aviation agreements signed recently between the two countries.

The comprehensive MOU sets the foundation to discuss potential joint codeshare operations between Manama and Tel Aviv, as well as on the global flight networks beyond the two carriers’ hubs and contains plans for greater commercial cooperation in the fields of loyalty, cargo, engineering, travel technology and any area that can benefit both airlines and their customers.

Last month the airline operated the first-ever and historic flight between Bahrain and Israel that carried the Kingdom’s delegation headed by Bahrain’s Foreign Minister H.E. Abdul Latif Al Zayani which inaugurated the new flight code GF972 and the return flight of GF973, representing the international dialling codes of both countries.

Gulf Air aircraft photo gallery:

Gulf Air resumes direct flights to India

Gulf Air, the national carrier of the Kingdom of Bahrain, has announced that it will resume its direct flights to and from the Republic of India staring with Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum) on September 14, 2020 along with Cochin and Calicut this week with plans to announce a further expansion into more destination within India soon. The flights are operating based on a special agreement between the governments of the Kingdom of Bahrain and the Republic of India.

Gulf Air has been operating direct flights between the Kingdom of Bahrain and the Republic of India since 1960 and its network of Indian cities has always been key within the Gulf Air’s global network. The airline currently flies to and from London, Paris, Frankfurt, Manila, Athens, Cairo, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Kuwait, Peshawar, Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi.

Gulf Air aircraft photo gallery:

 

Gulf Air and SpiceJet to explore options to work together

Gulf Air, the national carrier of the Kingdom of Bahrain, and SpiceJet, India’s favorite carrier, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to explore greater cooperation between the two airlines including an interline and codeshare agreement, coordinated cargo services, engineering services and pilot training. The MoU was signed by Mr. Krešimir Kučko, Gulf Air’s Chief Executive Officer and Mr. Ajay Singh, Chairman and Managing Director at SpiceJet.

Besides looking at a codeshare and interline agreement, the scope of the MoU includes the two airlines exploring growth opportunities beyond network expansion by leveraging each other’s strengths. Gulf Air and SpiceJet will look at collaborating in the field of pilot training to nurture talent in order to deliver the finest resources for both the airlines. The airlines will also engage and collaborate to enhance their respective cargo and engineering services. The signing of this MOU between the two carriers aims at initiation of collaboration between the two carriers, and further strengthening the strong ties between India and the Kingdom of Bahrain.

Gulf Air currently operates 82 weekly flights to eight destinations in India: Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Thiruvananthapuram, Cochin, Hyderabad, Calicut and Bangalore. SpiceJet currently operates flights to more than 50 destinations within the Republic of India.

Gulf Air resumes flights to Erbil strengthening its regional network

Gulf Air, the national carrier of the Kingdom of Bahrain, has announced the resumption of its direct services between Bahrain and Erbil in Iraq; further strengthening the airline’s existing Iraqi routes of Baghdad and Najaf.

The airline’s services to Erbil will commence on February 2, 2020, and will see Gulf Air’s three weekly flights between Bahrain International Airport and Erbil International Airport operated with an Airbus A320 aircraft.