Gulf Air has announced the launch of point-to-point flights beyond its Bahrain International Airport hub.
The national carrier of Bahrain said the move will allow it to expand its operations to new destinations as well as extending passenger services to new markets.
Gulf Air said it has launched services, known as Fifth Freedom flights, between Athens and Larnaca allowing passengers from either location to buy tickets and commute between both Mediterranean cities.
Similarly, it has also launched flights between Bangkok and Singapore with tickets sold on Gulf Air’s website .
Captain Waleed AlAlawi, Gulf Air’s acting CEO, said: “This is an exciting development for the national carrier of Bahrain. Now, not only we operate from and to our hub, but we will also operate from and to foreign points and give the opportunity to more passengers to experience our Arabian hospitality at a local level in their own markets.”
He added: “We studied the demand between Athens and Larnaca as well as between Bangkok and Singapore to carry passengers between each city pair. This is the beginning of a wider plan to expand globally and be available and more visible to the local markets in countries that we fly to.”
Last month, the airline announced that all its flights would be operated by 100 percent vaccinated crew including pilots and flight attendants.
It also recently announced offering complimentary Covid-19 travel insurance coverage to all ticket holders for flights until November 10.
Last month, Gulf Air chairman Zayed R Alzayani said establishing direct flights between Bahrain and China is a “priority” for the kingdom’s carrier.
Alzayani, who is also Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism to the Kingdom of Bahrain, was addressing the China Tourism Forum at Arabian Travel Market (ATM), where he revealed previous plans to establish closer links with the country were scuppered as a result of the coronavirus crisis.
According to data published in 2018, the number of Chinese tourists travelling to the GCC was expected to increase 54 percent from 1.4 million in 2018 to 2.2 million in 2023.
The data, published by Colliers International showed the UAE would continue to be the preferred GCC destination for Chinese tourists, welcoming a projected 1.9 million visitors by 2023.
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