Gulf Air welcomes first Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner

Manama, Apr. 27 (BNA): Gulf Air, Bahrain's national carrier, today welcomed the airline’s first Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. The aircraft, which landed in Bahrain International Airport at around 3pm, following its delivery from the Boeing factory in the United States, will service a number of regional routes before it takes on the Bahrain-London Heathrow route on June 15. With Gulf Air’s Chief Executive Officer Krešimir Kučko and other airline executives on board, the Dreamliner received a water canon salute as it taxied to the terminal and was welcomed by a delegation of VIPs, dignitaries, government and aviation industry representatives and media members. Gulf Air’s incoming fleet of 39 new Boeing and Airbus aircraft will see by end-2018 the arrival of five Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners and two Airbus A320 neo aircraft. Two Dreamliner services have been announced so far this year: the Bahrain - London, Heathrow service and the Bahrain – Casablanca service.The new incoming aircraft will facilitate the national carrier’s expansion plans, while maintaining one of the youngest fleets in the region, building upon its award-winning reliability, on time performance and product and service standards. 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 percent increase in capacity on the airline’s previous wide body offering. “We are delighted to welcome Gulf Air’s newest aircraft, a game-changer for the Kingdom’s national carrier that will not only elevate Gulf Air’s product and service offering and passenger experience but will also allow us to expand our network in a strategic manner," Gulf Air Chairman, Zayed R. Alzayani said. "2018 will see Gulf Air open eight new routes to Abha, Alexandria, Baku, Bangalore, Calicut, Casablanca, Sharm El Shaikh and Tabuk. With such expansion, we are creating growth opportunities within the Kingdom of Bahrain’s financial and tourism sectors amongst others. Going forward, every kind of traveller will be able to enjoy a state-of-the-art, modern, relaxing and memorable experience as Gulf Air’s new fleet will be outfitted with superior seats, Inflight Entertainment and much more. We are looking forward to Gulf Air becoming an airline of choice, which is our strategic goal.” In 2018,Gulf Air’s network will serve 49 cities in 26 countries. Gulf Air is committed to being an industry leader, continually enhancing its services and tailoring a product offering that best fits its passengers’ needs.