Gulf Air has received its first Boeing 787-9, featuring the carrier's new livery. A further four are due to follow by the end of the year.
Gulf Air has received its first Boeing 787-9, with a further four to follow by the end of the year, as it pursues international expansion plans. Two more 787-9s are scheduled for delivery in 2019, followed by three in 2020. The airline will also receive two A320neos this year.
The new aircraft, which made an inaugural flight to Jeddah on 1st May, will service a number of regional routes over the coming weeks before it takes on the Bahrain-Heathrow route on 15th June. The Dreamliner will also be introduced on the airline's new Bahrain-Casablanca route this year.
Gulf Air’s Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners will offer 282 seats in a two-class configuration, with 26 Falcon Gold Class seats and 256 Economy Class seats – a 32% increase in capacity on the airline’s previous widebody offering. The aircraft will feature upgraded on-board products and services (seats, inflight entertainment).
The airline plans major network expansion coinciding with its new aircraft deliveries. Gulf Air will add eight new destinations to its network this year. In India, its current operations to Delhi, Chennai, Kochi, Mumbai, Trivandrum and Hyderabad, will be enhanced by flights to Bangalore and Calicut.
Gulf Air will also commence flights to the Saudi Arabian cities of Abha and Tubuk. This will expand its Saudi Arabia operations to complement its current service to Dammam, Riyadh, Madina Al Munawarah, Jeddah and Gassim. Gulf Air’s Cairo operations will be supplemented by direct flights to Alexandria and flights to Sharm El Shaikh.