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History
Gulf Air has come a long way since it launched services in 1950 as Gulf Aviation Company. Now fully owned by the Kingdom of Bahrain through Bahrain Mumtalakat Holding Company, the airline started as a small scale commuter service, serving the oil fields of the Gulf and some regional customers. Today, Gulf Air is a major international airline serving over 40 destinations worldwide. However, whether it is 10 or 100 destinations, seven seater planes or the latest state of the art jets, our goal has remained constant - a commitment to the latest aviation technology and an adherence to traditional Arabian hospitality.
Historic Developments: From 1950 - 1999 | | Top |
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Gulf Aviation Company is registered as a private shareholding company on 24 March. | | | Top |
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BOAC (British Overseas Aircraft Corporation) becomes the major shareholder in Gulf Aviation. | | | Top |
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In-flight services introduced. | | | Top |
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London services begin in April, using the VC10.
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Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Oman, and Qatar governments purchase BOAC's shares. | | | Top |
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The Foundation Treaty is signed on 1 January and the Gulf Aviation Company becomes Gulf Air, the national carrier of the four states. Gulf Air starts service to Beirut from 01 April with a VC 10 aircraft. | | | Top |
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L-1011 TriStars and B737s join the fleet. Staff complement increases to 4,000. Amman, Amsterdam, Athens, Baghdad, Bangkok, Cairo, Colombo, Delhi, Dhaka, Hong Kong, Jeddah, Khartoum, Larnaca, Manila, Paris, Ras Al Khaimah, Sanaa are added to the network. | | | Top |
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Gulf Air becomes IATA member. | | | Top |
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Gulf Air is the first international airline permitted to land at Riyadh. | | | Top |
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Staff complement reaches 4,500, comprising 41 nationalities speaking 23 languages. | | | Top |
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The Gulf Aircraft Maintenance Company (Gamco) opens in Abu Dhabi. | | | Top |
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The Boeing B767 joins the fleet and services to Frankfurt, Istanbul, Damascus, Dar Es-Salaam, Fujairah and Nairobi are launched with services to Shiraz and Baghdad resumed. | | | Top |
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Gulf Air's 40th anniversary. The light blue and peach Balenciaga-designed uniform was introduced. Singapore, Sydney and Trivandrum are launched and Gulf Air becomes first Arab airline to fly to Australia. Beirut service is resumed. | | | Top |
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Gulf Air becomes first Arab airline to fly directly to Johannesburg and Melbourne. | | | Top |
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Gulf Air's Flight Simulator Centre is opened in Qatar in February. Services to Casablanca, Entebbe, Jakarta, Kilimanjaro, Madras, Rome, Sanaa, Zanzibar and Zurich are launched. | | | Top |
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The state-of-the-art Airbus A340-300 joins the fleet in May. Gulf Air signs a code-share agreement with American Airlines on flights between London and New York. | | | Top |
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Gulf Air signs a code-share agreement with Cyprus Airways on flights between Bahrain and Larnaca. | | | Top |
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Gulf Air launches its official Internet homepage at http:/www.gulfairco.com. The airline wins the Gulf Africa Merit of Distinction Duty Free Award for the third time. A code-share agreement with British Midland is signed for flights between London and Edinburgh, Glasgow, Manchester, Amsterdam, Teeside, Leeds/Bradford, Belfast. | | | Top |
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Flights to Nepal are launched. Gulf Air expands the code-share agreement with American Airlines and the GF code appears on AA-operated flights between London and New York , Chicago and Miami . A no-smoking policy is introduced on flights to Singapore and Australia . The airline wins the Gulf Africa Merit of Distinction Duty Free Award for the fourth time. | | | Top |
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Gulf Air launched three new routes in North Pakistan, Islamabad, Lahore, and Peshawar. A code-share agreement with Air Tanzania is signed to cover flights between Dar Es Salaam, Zanzibar, Muscat and Dubai. Gulf Air takes delivery of two (out of six) A330-200 aircraft. A new Balmain-designed uniform is introduced. |
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From 2000 - 2011 | | Top |
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Gulf Air's 50th Anniversary. Services to Milan are launched. The remaining Airbus A330-200 aircraft are taken into service in June. | | | Top |
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Gulf Air announces a code-share arrangement with Oman Air. American Airlines, Royal Air Maroc, Air Malta, British Midland, Cyprus Airways and Philippine Airlines are also participants. | | | Top |
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James Hogan is appointed as the new President and Chief Executive in May.
The three-year restructuring and turnaround programme is launched with international and local management. An Executive Management Entry Programme and apprenticeship scheme is introduced.
Gulf Air becomes first Middle East airline to introduce in-flight chefs to serve first class passengers. Gulf Air Holidays Arabian Experience programme is launched.
AIMS the Airline Information Management System is implemented for flying crew on all Gulf Air flights. Gulf Air is the only airline in region to receive the Airbus Operational Excellence Award for 2000 / 2001 and Gulf Air and CFM International commemorate 10th anniversary of introduction of CFM56 engines into fleet and is awarded for becoming the CFM56-5C fleet leader in terms of engine cycles.
The Gulf Air Board unanimously approves the three-year recovery plan at the Extraordinary General Meeting held on 18 December.
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Gulf Air unveils its new corporate identity in April as part of the progressive change management programme.
Gulf Traveller, the all economy full service airline commences service out of Abu Dhabi in June.
Gulf Air is the first Middle East airline to introduce self-service electronic check-in kiosks and SMS notification technology a downloadable version of the timetable.
Code-share agreements are concluded with Air India and Saudi Arabian Airlines.
Flights to Zanzibar are resumed in June and Cochin is added to the network of destinations.
The new look frequent flyer programme is launched in September and the worldwide contact centre goes live at the Knowledge Oasis in Muscat, where state-of-the-art technology is used to route calls from the region to a single, central reservations system.
Gulf Air announces its sponsorship of the Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix to be held in April 2004.
In a world first, Gulf Air introduces Norland-trained Sky Nannies to provide specialist child care on board long-haul flights.
Direct daily flights to Athens and Sydney are introduced on 23 November.
Following a commercial agreement with Indian Airlines, twice-weekly flights are started to Kolkata in West Bengal.
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Gulf Air's new First and Business Class lounge opens in Bahrain International Airport.
The first Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix is held at the Bahrain International circuit in Sakhir at the beginning of April.
Gulf Air is recognised with the prestigious Airline Turnaround of the Year Award by the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA) in 2003 and is selected as a one of the leading and most recognised brands in the UAE by the Superbrands Council. The airline also receives the top honour of a platinum award for being voted the Best Middle East and North Africa Airline at the 2004 Arabian Travel Market's inaugural MENA Awards. The airline is named the winner of the Excellence in Quality Improvement category of the 2004 Skytrax Airline Excellence Awards, the world's largest survey of passenger attitudes towards airlines.
Direct flights are introduced between Dubai and London and Muscat and London.
A daily service between Abu Dhabi and Ras Al Khaimah is launched.
Bookshop in the Sky is introduced In June 2004.
A First and Business class lounge is opened at Terminal Three in Heathrow Airport.
Commercial agreements are signed with KLM and Air Garuda.
Gulf Air signs with Oman-based Macrosoft for the implementation of the Oracle e-Business suite.
Gulf Air signs and agreement with Sabre inc in terms of which a new joint venture comes into being. Based in Bahrain, the Sabre Travel Network Middle East, will leverage the marketing and sales opportunities for Sabre's technology services, bookable travel products and distribution services for travel agencies, corporations and travel suppliers in the region.
Gulf Air carries a record 7.5 million passengers during the year.
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Gulf Air's appetite for innovation is again recognised when the world's first Sky Nanny receives a commendation at the 2004 Gulf Marketing Review Marketing Effectiveness Awards in the Best New Product launch category.
The airline celebrates its 55th birthday and in doing so reconfirms its position as the elder statesman and pioneer of the Middle East aviation industry, while demonstrating that 'age' is no barrier to enthusiasm and innovation.
A return to profit announced with the best financial performance since 1997. Despite a BD30 million (USD80 million) cost to the business through fuel price rises during the year, Gulf Air recorded a profit of BD1.5 million (USD4.0 million) in the calendar year to December 2004, on revenues up 23.8 per cent to BD476.3 million (USD1.26 billion) (2003: BD 384.6 million / USD1,020.2 million). The results mean the airline out-performed the targets set under Project Falcon, the three-year restructuring plan approved by the Board in December 2002.
Gulf Air's sponsorship of the Bahrain Formula 1 Grand Prix continued to reap dividends for the airline, with a record crowd, a global TV audience well as a record number of passengers being carried to the Kingdom by the airline from all corners of the globe for the 1-3 April 2005 race.
Gulf Air picks up its first ever Freddie for 'Best Award Redemption, Frequent Flyer Programme, Europe/Middle East/Africa: and was highly commended in two other categories.
Three new Holiday Experience Programmes are introduced for 2005, which provide the greatest choice and best value for money for holiday makers since the Gulf Air Holidays Experience theme was launched two years ago.
In the World Airline Catering Awards published by Skytrax, Gulf Air clinches top position for both First and Business Class onboard catering on long-haul intercontinental flights.
A codeshare agreement is signed with Middle East Airlines which makes provision for codeshare flights between Abu Dhabi and Beirut to be operated by Middle East Airlines.
An agreement is signed with AXA Insurance which makes provision for the sale of holiday and travel insurance from the airline's sales offices.
A daily, direct service between Cairo and Sydney is introduced offering a three-class service on daily flights to Sydney via Bahrain and Singapore.
The number of Sky Chefs on board Gulf Air's long haul flights serving Europe, the Far East and Australasia passes the 100 mark.
New ground is broken with the opening of the first dedicated Gulf Air Holidays shop in Seef Mall, Bahrain. The move follows the rapid growth in Gulf Air's holiday business.
Gulf Air is placed on the IOSA registry following its successful completion of the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA).
Emirate of Abu Dhabi, one of the partners of Gulf Air, withdraws its shareholding. The Governments of the Kingdom of Bahrain and the Sultanate of Oman confirm their unequivocal and full support to Gulf Air.
Gulf Air and Evergreen - a global leader in cargo operations - sign a Memorandum of Understanding to explore the feasibility of partnerships in freighter operations to serve regional and long haul markets.
Gulf Air signs FFP agreement with Jet Airways.
Gulf Air launches electronic ticketing in four locations - Bahrain, London, Singapore and Sydney.
Gulf Air's inflight magazine, "air" was named the Best Inflight Entertainment Guide at the 17th Annual Avion Awards run by the World Airline Entertainment Association (WAEA).
Gulf Air scoops two prestigious awards at the 12th Annual World Travel Awards - the Middle East's Leading First Class Airline and the World's Leading Airport Lounge for its First and Business Class lounge in the Kingdom of Bahrain.
Gulf Air is voted the region's top Travel and Tourism Company of the Year in the Arabian Business Awards 2005.
Gulf Air inflight magazine "air" chosen among the world passenger airlines as the "best designed inflight magazine" at the American Creativity awards.
Gulf Air launches new services to Dublin and Johannesburg.
Gulf Air wins two major awards at the PAX International Readership Awards Ceremony, one for "best new product launch" - inflight service for catering, service, design and delivery and the other, for the "Middle East region's best airport restaurant" for its restaurant at Bahrain International Airport lounge.
Gulf Air is the winner of the 'Best Client Business Transformation' award by Landor Associates.
Gulf Air and Standard Chartered Bank (SCB) finalise terms for the provision of a three-year syndicated term loan facility of USD 75 million to be used for financing ongoing investment and growth in 2006.
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January
Gulf Air signs agreement with Thai Airways to codeshare on Thai Airways' services in the following sectors: Bangkok-Muscat, Bangkok–Phuket-Bangkok, Bangkok-Chiang Mai-Bangkok. Thai Airways codeshare with Gulf Air on its Bangkok-Bahrain and Bangkok-Muscat sectors. e-ticketing extended to cover more destinations. Now, passengers travelling between Abu Dhabi/London, Abu Dhabi/Bahrain/Singapore/Sydney Abu Dhabi/Muscat, Muscat/London, Muscat/Bahrain/Singapore/Sydney and, Muscat/Abu Dhabi can be issued with e-tickets on these routes.
February
Gulf Air and a consortium of lenders sign an agreement for the provision of a three-year syndicated term loan facility of USD 75 million that will be used to finance ongoing investment and growth during 2006.
Gulf Air reports a strong increase in passenger traffic through its hubs in Bahrain and Muscat during 2005. Premium traffic rises across the Gulf Air network by 26 per cent and Revenue per Available Seat Kilometre (RASK), rose by 10 per cent.
Gulf Air expands codeshare agreement with American Airlines (AA) that allows AA to codeshare on two more Gulf Air destinations, i.e., Kuwait and Doha via Bahrain.
Gulf Air announces a new three-year strategic plan - Smart Airline, Successful Business - that includes provision for re-capitalisation of the airline, re-equipment of the fleet, product upgrades and refurbishment of present aircraft, and investment in a range of areas of the business.
Gulf Air and Arab Financial Services (AFS) sign agreement for the provision of a payment gateway that facilitates credit card payment processing as part of an online payment solution.
Gulf Air wins Skytrax Awards for its 'Onboard Catering Excellence.' By winning the award, Gulf Air has repeats its winning streak, not just once, but three times in various categories.
Gulf Air receives 'Best New Entrant Airline' award for 2005 from Athens International Airport (AIA).
March
Gulf Air unveils a new icon Gulfy to a large gathering of children, teachers, Gulf Air patrons and media persons in Bahrain and Muscat. The life-size, cartoon character will entertain and enthrall children.
A new Destination Management Company is set up by Gulf Air jointly with Bahrain's leading travel and tourism operating companies, Kanoo Travel and Dadabhai Travel.
Gulf Air wins the prestigious Mercury Award for 2005. Airline receives the "Gold" award in the onboard service category and was also named the "overall winner" for its innovation, quality in application and customer satisfaction.
Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix 2006, the three day hi-octane, internationally acclaimed mostorsport event gets under way. Gulf Air is the title sponsor and the official carrier of the event.
Gulf Air announces extension of sponsorship of the Grand Prix until 2010. The airline signs an agreement with Allsport Management at the conclusion of the 2006 Grand Prix.
Gulf Air sponsored Rally Oman 2006 takes off at Muscat.
Gulf Air and Saudi Arabian Airlines (SV) expand codeshare arrangements to introduce new services between Bahrain and Al-Madinah and between Muscat and Dammam.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Swiss-based SR Technics Holding (SR Technics) paves the way for the establishment of an aircraft maintenance facility and training centre in Muscat to maintain and repair the airline’s fleet on a five-year contract valued at USD750 million.
Crown Prince of Bahrain and Commander-in-Chief of the Bahrain Defence Force, His Highness Shaikh Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, opens the BD3.5 million, state-of-the-art Gulf Air Flight Simulator Centre located at Gulf Air's headquarters in Muharraq.
April
Gulf Air expands codeshare arrangement with Saudi Arabian Airlines by introducing, for the first time, services between Bahrain and Al-Madinah Al Monwara and, between Muscat and Dammam in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Gulf Air extends e-ticketing in the region enabling travel agencies in Bahrain, Oman and the United Arab Emirates to book through Sabre Global Distribution System.
May
Gulf Air and Philippine Airlines (PAL) sign a codesharing arrangement on selected routes to the Middle East and other destinations.
Gulf Air reports strong improvements in major key performance indicators during the first quarter of 2006, as the airline’s two-hub strategy took effect. During the first three months of the year, the seat factor increased to 73.0 per cent, reflecting a 6.3 per cent increase in premium passengers and a strong increase in Haj traffic. Unit revenue for the same period rose by 6.6 per cent over 2005.
Passenger traffic at Bahrain International Airport in the first quarter showed a 24 per cent increase year on year, while there was a 20 per cent increase at Seeb International Airport for the first three months of the year.
Gulf Air signs a multi-million dollar corporate sponsorship deal with Oman Football Association (OFA) whereby the airline becomes the official sponsor for the national Senior, Olympic, Under-19 and Under-17 teams.
June
Gulf Air scoops three Skytrax awards;2006 Skytrax Award for 'Best Onboard Catering Excellence' for the third consecutive year.2006 Skytrax Award for Best Regional Airline – Middle East.2006 Skytrax Award for Second Best Cabin Crew in the Middle East.
July
Gulf Air introduces non-stop flights between Muscat and Paris four days a week.
e-ticketing facility now covers destinations in Australia, Cyprus, Egypt, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Ireland, Malaysia, Singapore, South Africa, Thailand, Turkey, the Gulf and UK.
Gulf Air extends Pet Travel Scheme (PETS) to Dublin allowing passengers from Bahrain to take their pet cats and dogs as cargo to Dublin without the animals having to undergo quarantine.
Gulf Air and Saudi Arabian Airlines expand their co-operation by adding new services between Riyadh – Bangkok by two flights a week via Muscat Seeb International Airport.
August
Gulf Air and Malaysia Airlines sign a codesharing agreement allowing Malaysia Airlines to market seats under its code on Gulf Air operated flights between Kuala Lumpur bound for Bahrain and Oman.
Gulf Air wins 'Operational Excellence Award' from Airbus for its consistent performance from 2003 to 2005, amongst all airlines that have A330 aircraft. The award is given to airlines based on revenue flight hours, revenue take-offs, number of chargeable operational interruptions and average delay time.
September
Gulf Air resumes daily non-stop service to Beirut.
Gulf Air President and Chief Executive James Hogan completed his tenure with Gulf Air on 30 September 2006.
Vice President Finance Ahmed Al Hammadi takes over as Acting President and Chief Executive.
Gulf Air Cargo’s Dubai operation joins top ten league achieving outstanding results for 2005 in terms of cargo uplift and revenue.
October
Gulf Air completes Interline Electronic Ticketing (IET) with American Airlines (AA). Passengers can enjoy the convenience of using a single e-ticket for journeys on Gulf Air and American Airlines to eligible destinations.
Gulf Air registers record passenger numbers at the airline’s key hubs: 31.0 per cent increase to 4.7 million passengers through the two hubs, compared to the same period last year.
November
His Excellency Juma bin Ali bin Juma Al Juma, Minister of Manpower of the Sultanate of Oman, visits Gulf Air's Worldwide Contact Centre (WWCC) at the Knowledge Oasis Muscat (KOM) on Saturday, 4 November 2006.
Gulf Air Frequent flyer programme ties up with Eurostar, whereby FFP members can redeem their miles for travel between London and Paris, Brussels, Lille or Disneyland Paris.
Gulf Air Cargo commissions a series of scheduled freighter charters to meet customers' demand for more cargo capacity during the traditional peak season.
December
Gulf Air wins the "Best Business Airline" award at the British Travel Awards held on the final day of the World Travel Mart (WTM) expo held in London. Gulf Air was voted to the coveted award by members of the UK travel trade and consumers, in a competition that saw popular carriers Qantas, Cathay Pacific, Emirates, British Airways, Virgin, Malaysian Airlines, Etihad, Singapore Airlines and EOS vying for the position.
Gulf Air partners with Accor Hotels Group offering its Frequent flyer programme members an opportunity to earn more miles, when they stay at three of its well-known brands - Sofitel, Novotel and Mercure hotels.
Gulf Air unveils avant-garde livery for Cabin Service Managers, designed by Paris-based designer house, 'Creation & Image,' creators of Balmain brand uniforms.
Gulf Air wins the '2006 DBA Design Effectiveness Award' in the Corporate/Brand Identity category (over £100,000) from UK-based Design Business Association (DBA).
The Bahrain Mumtalakat Holding Company’s Board of Directors, headed by its Chairman and Finance Minister, HE Shaikh Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Khalifa, visits Gulf Air headquarters.
Mr. Michael Wette, Partner & Managing Director of Roland Berger Middle East in Bahrain, appointed as a member of the Gulf Air Board of Directors.
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January
Oman’s Minister of Transport and Communication HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulla Al Harthy takes over as Chairman of Gulf Air Board of Directors. Mr. Al Harthy, who was formerly the Deputy Chairman of the Board, assumed the chairmanship on 1 January 2007 as part of an annual rotation between the two owning states, the Kingdom of Bahrain and the Sultanate of Oman.
Swiss citizen André Dosé, an airline industry veteran with more than 30 years experience in the aviation business, is named as the airline’s new Chief Executive Officer.
Fourth roadshow for the Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix 2007 begins in Bahrain. Roadshow travels to Muscat, Beirut, Cairo, Kuwait, Doha, Jeddah, Riyadh, Dubai and the Eastern province of Saudi Arabia.
February
Gulf Air Cadet Pilot Ms. Maisa Hazeem becomes the first Bahraini woman to qualify as First Officer after successfully completing her training.
Gulf Air sponsors the 17th Gulf Scrabble Tournament (GST) for 2007 to be organised by the Bahrain Scrabble League (BSL).
Gulf Air records impressive growth in premium class passenger segment with a three per cent growth in January 2007 vis-à-vis the same period in 2006 while registering an impressive 8.5 % growth in the first fourteen days of February over the same period last year.
March
Mahmood Hashem Al Kooheji, the Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Bahrain Mumtalakat Holding Company (Mumtalakat) is appointed as Deputy Chairman of the Gulf Air Board of Directors.
Jawad Habib Jawad joins Gulf Air as a new member of the Board. The board also includes two other members from Bahrain, Khalid Omar Al Rumaihi and Michael Wette representing Bahrain Mumtalakat Holding Co.
Gulf Air plays host to the 95th International Airlines Technical Pool (IATP) Convention held in Bahrain. Over 400 members from the global aviation industry attend.
Gulf Air’s Frequent flyer programme wins prestigious Gold Award in Loyalty category at the 2006 Gulf “Effectiveness in Marketing” Awards (GEMAS).
Gulf Air hosts Arabesk Airlines meeting in which representatives of several Arab carriers discuss ways and means to strengthen ties and expand cooperation.
Gulf Air and Saudi Arabian Airlines expand their codeshare alliance to add new services between Riyadh and Kathmandu via Bahrain, making the codeshare alliance the largest between any two carriers in the Middle East.
Gulf Air wins SkyTrax award for best First and Business Class onboard catering for the fourth time in succession at the SkyTrax World Airline Awards 2007.
Gulf Air also wins the Business Traveller magazine's "Cellars in the Sky 2006" awards for two of its wines served onboard its First and Business Class.
April
André Dosé assumes office as Gulf Air’s new President and Chief Executive (PCE) from 1 April.
Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix 2007 successfully held on 13, 14 and 15 April 2007 attracting record number of visitors.
Board of Directors approves a new restructuring plan aimed at significantly reducing company losses over the next few years. The plan involves some tough new measures including cost cutting across the entire company, streamlining the structure of the organisation and making network operations more efficient.
Gulf Air starts BD 310 million “Get Well” programme. The plan consists of two pillars to completely reshape the network to better serve the needs of the Bahrain and Oman economies and, to improve customer service through higher punctuality, better reliability and lower connection times.
Services to heavy, loss-making long-haul routes, Sydney, Singapore, Hong Kong, Jakarta, Johannesburg and Dublin, to be stopped from 1 July so that the fleet and resources can be used in the most efficient way to ensure that customers are served effectively.
May
Gulf Air launches two new onboard magazines- Gulf Life - the airline's new inflight magazine and On Air- a separate 60-page inflight entertainment magazine. Ink Publishing - an international publishing company specialising in inflight magazines - appointed to publish the titles.
Gulf Air becomes the official carrier of Bahrain International Travel Expo (BITE 2007) – a major travel trade show in the Middle East for the second time in a row.
Gulf Air sponsors another international motor event -The Gulf Air Bahrain International Motor Show (GFBIMS). Top international brands such as Ferrari, Lamborghini, Harley Davidson, Hummer and Aston Martin take part.
Gulf Air retains its place on IOSA registry following the completion of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Operational Safety Audit (IOSA).
June
Gulf Air commissions online integrity platform, Ethicspoint in an effort to foster work ethics, professionalism, and transparency in its systems and practices. The platform will be independently managed by an international agency Kroll.
Gulf Air announces early retirement package for Bahraini and Omani employees.
Gulf Air website goes live with flight status information. Passengers can now get real-time flight departure and arrival details from its website.
Gulf Air Worldwide Call Centre is named “Middle East Call Centre of the Year” at a glittering award ceremony at the Insights Middle East Contact Centre World Forum 2007 in Dubai.
July
President and Chief Executive, André Dosé, honours dozens of employees for their 'dedication beyond the call of duty' during the initial stages of the airline's turnaround programme.
Gulf Air introduces new inflight meal service for customers travelling in Economy Class within the Gulf and the Middle Eastern sectors. The service, which is an innovative and modern concept, provides meals in an attractive and light-weight packaging, which the passengers can choose to consume in-flight or take it with them, if they prefer.
Gulf Air and Bahrain Development Bank (BDB) jointly launch a BD 1.2 million 'pilots training finance programme'. Under the programme, Gulf Air will select suitable candidates to undergo training in a reputed aviation training school through a comprehensive screening and selection process while BDB will finance all expenses related to the training of selected candidates. Successful candidates will join Gulf Air at the end of the training.
Gulf Air and Ethiopian Airlines sign up a strategic code-sharing agreement opening up routes and services to each other in their respective networks.
President and Chief Executive Mr. Andre Dose leaves the company in accordance with the terms of his employment contract, following a discussion and review of the ongoing implementation of company’s restructuring programme with the Board of Directors. The Board thanks Mr. Dosé for his assistance to the company during his employment period and wished him every success in his future plans.
The Gulf Air Board of Directors appoints Chief Operating Officer Björn Näf as the Acting President and Chief Executive.
August
Gulf Air's first batch of in-house trained 14 Sky Nannies graduate after an intensive training programme at the Gulf Air Cabin Crew Training School.
Gulf Air inaugurates its World Wide Call Centre (WWCC) in Bahrain with 12 Bahraini call centre agents.
Gulf Air signs up Bahrain's rising motor racing star Hamad Al Fardan in its ongoing efforts to fostering sports activities in Bahrain. The sponsorship covers Fardan’s all race-related travel within the airline’s network until February 2008.
Taking its premium class onboard catering to greater heights, Gulf Air introduces a select range of handmade premium chocolates to its award-winning First Class menu. The chocolates will be supplied by Bahraini chocolatier-couple Ali Rashid and Marjo Rashid under an exclusive arrangement.
Gulf Air provides a lifetime opportunity for its young Bahraini management trainees to spend a full day individually with the CEO of the company, including shadowing him at meetings with senior management and staff.
With more than more than 80 per cent of its network covered by e-ticket, Gulf Air leads the way in the implementation of e-ticketing. The airline also successfully implements Interline e-ticketing agreements with 26 international airlines, which is a significant development.
Gulf Air signs up Global Incentive Agreement Programme – a strategic global partnership - with DHL Express, the global market leader in international express and logistics industry.
Bahrain's aviation history reaches a new milestone as Gulf Air takes off with a Bahrain-registered aircraft after the airline became a fully-owned Bahraini company.
Gulf Air embarks on a major road-show to showcase its products and services in five speciality events to be held in Bahrain between November 2007 and May 2008, i.e. "Jewellery Arabia 2007", "Autumn Fair 2008", "GEO 2008", "Beauty Arabia 2008" and "Middle East Petrotech 2008".
October
Gulf Air re-aligns its outstation sales force, which includes promoting several staff, many of whom are Bahrainis, to further enhance the company's strong presence in the Gulf and the Middle East region.
Gulf Air's flight operations receives a further boost with a new narrow-body Boeing 737-800 aircraft joining the airline’s fleet on a wet-lease agreement.
Gulf Air extends its cooperation with Saudi Arabian Airlines by operating two weekly non-stop code-shared flights on the Dammam-Kathmandu route. Saudi Arabian Airlines adds its code on the Gulf Air-operated two flights on Riyadh-Bahrain-Bangkok route as well as on two flights on Riyadh-Bahrain-Kathmandu route.
November
Another Boeing 737-800 new narrow-body aircraft joins Gulf Air fleet.
Chairman of the Board Mahmood Al Kooheji and Acting President and Chief Executive Björn Näf announce at the Dubai International Air Show, the next phase of the airline's 'Way Forward' realignment programme that includes an aircraft order to replace the existing fleet.
December
Gulf Air adds colour to the National Day celebrations through a historic photo exhibition titled "Now and Then; Gulf Air in Bahrain", featuring a visual tour of the Gulf Air's past and the present through a display of 50 large-size reprints.
Gulf Air passengers on flight GF 154 on 20 December travelling from Bahrain to Manila receive a special honour from the President of the Philippines Her Excellency Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. The Philippines President, leading a team of officials, greeted and shook hands with each of the 220 Overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) as they came out of the arrival hall from the Gulf Air flight.
Gulf Air successfully completes Bahraini registration of all its 30 aircraft in less than three months' time. | | | Top |
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January
Gulf Air signs agreement with Boeing Co. to purchase up to 24 Boeing 787 Dreamliners in a deal valued at nearly $6 billion at list price. The agreement is for 16 B-787 aircraft on direct order with the right to purchase eight more airplanes.
Dr. Mustafa AlSayed and Mr. Jameel Al Matrook join Gulf Air Board of Directors.
Gulf Air Board of Directors unanimously confirms Mr. Björn Näf as the President and Chief Executive of the company.
Airline signs a US$ 81.5 million loan agreement with Gulf International Bank as part of its growth strategy.
Gulf Air gets operating rights to Hyderabad and additional rights for daily services to Kochi and Kolkata following a successful bilateral agreement between Bahrain and Indian Civil Aviation authorities.
February
Gulf Air and Bahrain International Circuit sign agreement to promote the 2008 Formula One season – the fifth edition of Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix.
Gulf Air sponsors region’s popular cargo event “World Air Cargo Event 2008 in Bahrain.
Gulf Air takes part in Singapore Airshow, considered Asia's largest aerospace and defence event and one of the top three air shows in the world.
Gulf Air signs a three-year maintenance contract with SIA Engineering Company Limited (SIAEC), Singapore, valued at US$ 21 million, to undertake heavy maintenance work for the airline’s five Airbus A340, six Airbus A320 and six Airbus A330 aircraft from 2008 to 2010.
Gulf Air becomes the main sponsor and official airline, for the fourth time, of Bahrain International Travel Expo (BITE 2008) to be held in May 2008.
Gulf Air launches state-of-the-art Internet Booking Engine that provides faster, simpler, more convenient, accessible and even more secure features including online booking of hotel accommodation and car hire in Gulf Air’s network destinations.
A new Gulf Air lounge opens at Dubai International Airport incorporating an Arabian flavour to the lounge environment and state-of-the-art facilities for premium passengers.
Gulf Air announces launch of new non-stop service to Shanghai (China)-its 41st destination- from 16 June 08.
Gulf Air records region’s best on-time performance of 90% average in February.
March
Gulf Air formalises the purchase agreement with Boeing (announced in January) in a ceremony held at Washington DC celebrating the U.S. - Bahrain Free Trade Agreement (FTA) under the auspices of US-Bahrain Business Council, the US Chamber of Commerce and the Embassy of the Kingdom of Bahrain.
Gulf Air appoints 43 Bahrainis in to regular service, who have been working on a temporary basis for the company.
Gulf Air unveils a new Formula One-themed aircraft ahead of the fifth edition of “Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix 2008"
April
Responding to the increasing passenger demand, Gulf Air increases its frequency from three daily flights to four between Abu Dhabi and Bahrain from 01 April 2008.
The fifth edition of Formula One “Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix 2008" takes off at Bahrain International Circuit.
Gulf Air announces the appointment of London and Singapore-based designers James Park Associates to revamp and upgrade its entire fleet that includes redesign of all its aircraft interiors, together with its livery, uniforms and its passenger lounges.
Gulf Air announces Hyderabad service to begin from 1 July 08 Gulf Air’s online sales strategy proves to be a huge success with triple digit growth fuelled following the launch of new state-of-the-art Internet Booking Engine.
Gulf Air stand at the Arabian Travel Market features Boeing 737 dreamliner simulator attracting huge crowds.
Gulf Air deploys special aircraft to Damascus to bring back stranded Bahrainis in Beirut following civil unrest.
May
Gulf Air posts impressive performance of 95% seat load factor in the month of April. Airline’s performance also surpasses the region’s average by more than 2% during January–March period.
Gulf Air stand at the Bahrain International Travel Expo features ‘Internet Lounge’ theme attracting large number of visitors to experience its new internet booking engine.
Gulf Air plays host to a major international safety workshop – the 27th International Society of Air Safety Investigators (ISASI) Reachout Workshop.
Gulf Air orders 35 Airbus aircraft at the Berlin Airshow. The order includes a combination of single aisle and widebody aircraft that will more than double the airline’s Airbus fleet.
June
Gulf Air bids farewell to the last of its Boeing 767 aircraft after years of exemplary service in the airline’s fleet. The Boeing 767 fleet, which at one time numbered 20 aircraft, served the Gulf Air network safely for almost 20 years clocking-up more than one million flight-hours amongst them. Gulf Air enters into a strategic alliance with Bahrain Exhibition and Convention Authority (BECA) aimed at boosting the kingdom’s position as a leading destination for corporate meetings, incentive travel, conferences and exhibitions.
Gulf Air and the University of Bahrain (UoB) sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to collaborate on a number of activities that would provide opportunities for professional development, training and transfer of knowledge between the two institutions.
Gulf Air repeats its impressive performance of April with seat load factors reaching as high as 95% in some sectors and exceeding 85% across the network. Airline’s performance also surpasses the region’s average by more than 3% during January–May period.
Gulf Air’s first flight to Shanghai takes off successfully from Bahrain on 16 June marking another milestone in the historic and friendly relationship between Bahrain and China.
Gulf Air achieves 100 per cent implementation of e-ticketing across its entire network, well ahead of IATA’s deadline of 1 June 2008. The airline also completes 90% Interline Electronic Ticketing (IET) arrangement with its partner airlines.
July
Gulf Air launches services to Hyderabad, its ninth Indian destination following the successful launch of its service to Shanghai, China. Gulf Air signs a three-year sponsorship deal with the London-based Queen Park Rangers Football club. The partnership seeks to foster the introduction of a local youth football scouting program along with other community based initiatives in Bahrain and London. Gulf Air’s online sales performance records an impressive 250% growth over the last year in less than five months after launching the new booking engine on the internet, www.gulfair.com.
August
Gulf Air adopts Aviation Quality Database, the world’s leading software for aviation safety and quality management that combines quality and assurance with flight cabin maintenance and ground safety occurrence reporting.
The National Carrier expands its code share agreement with Malaysia Airlines , opening up more destinations in Malaysia & Indonesia for Gulf Air passengers. Under the agreement, Gulf Air will add its code on Malaysia Airlines operated flights to popular tourist destinations like Penang and Langkawi in Malaysia, and to Jakarta in Indonesia.
Gulf Air's World Wide Contact Centre (WWCC) in Bahrain has completed one year's service to its customers. A ceremony was held at the National Headquarters to celebrate the WWCC’s first anniversary under the patronage of Gulf Air Chief Executive Officer Mr. Björn Näf, who was joined by senior members of the Gulf Air management. Mr. Näf also presented certificates and letters of appreciation to the agents.
September
Gulf Air unveils its new Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) plan. The plan encompasses an integrated programme of research, development, education and outreach focusing on three key areas- climate change and clean air, waste management and community service, with goals to support each of them.
October
Over one hundred staff members from the airline's Worldwide Contact Centre (WWCC) completes an intensive customer care training programme under the Career Progression Programme which is funded by Tamkeen (the Labour Fund).
Gulf Air signs a new five-year deal with the Formula One Association which extends the existing sponsorship of the Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix.
The airline also announces the first set of lucky winners of the '1 in 20 Fly-for-Free' promotion.
Gulf Air commences a new weekly service nine times from Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport to its hub in Bahrain. Two new evening flights that depart on Wednesdays and Fridays are added to the airline's daily mid-morning service.
November
Gulf Air and Bahrain Airport Services (BAS) renew their long-standing ground handling contract along with a new service level agreement based on high performance-driven cooperation.
For the first time, Gulf Air promotes a Bahraini woman, Zainab Jaffer, to the position of a cabin service manager.
Gulf Air introduces a new weekly service from Frankfurt to its hub in Bahrain nine times a week. Two new evening flights depart on Mondays every week.
The national airline enters a strategic partnership with Bahrain Islamic Bank (BISB) whereby the airline's frequent flyer members can earn miles when using the bank's credit cards. This is the first Islamic bank to join an airline’s frequent flyer programme.
Gulf Air flies to Thailand's U-Tapao International Airport to bring back stranded passengers including Haj pilgrims during the coup crisis. The senior management, led by CEO Mr. Björn Näf, receives the passengers at the Bahrain International Airport.
December
Gulf Air's in-house employee suggestion programme 'My Idea' has received an overwhelming response from the employees.
The airline expands its code share partnership with American Airlines. The agreement provides Gulf Air customers a wider choice of more than 400 daily flights across 40 cities in the United States that include popular destinations such as Orlando, San Francisco, New Orleans, Seattle and Houston via Gulf Air’s three European hubs- London, Paris and Frankfurt.
The national carrier completed transporting more than 6800 of its passengers held up in Bangkok and Bahrain following the closure of the Suvarnabhumi International Airport between 26th November and 4th December.
Gulf Air upgrades the duty-free shopping experience for its passengers with the appointment of Duty Free Air & Ship Supply (DFASS) to run its concessions. The agreement means customers are now able to choose from a new and expanded range of products on board their flight.
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January
Gulf Air and Tamkeen sign a Memorandum of Understanding to offer 150 Bahraini students a place in the airline’s graduate training programme upon successful completion of their degrees.
Gulf Air reaches a major milestone in its Bahrainisation efforts with its financial accounting and revenue departments fully staffed by Bahrainis.
Gulf Air employees donate food and clothes to help the Palestinians who were injured in the aftermath of the violent conflict in Gaza.
Customers can now book tickets for their children below two years of age directly through Gulf Air’s online booking engine. Gulf Air donates a fully equipped ambulance to help Palestinians in need of urgent medical aid.
Gulf Air welcomes 25 new apprentice engineers for a two-year on the job training after completing their initial training at Bahrain Airport Services.
Gulf Air’s Frequent Flyer Programme members can now redeem their earned miles at any time through www.gulfair.com, along with checking the availability and costs in terms of miles, including money for taxes and surcharges when making redemption bookings.
February
Gulf Air along with Sunshine Tours sponsors eight travel agents to France to participate in the 15th anniversary celebrations of Disneyland Resort Paris.
The national carrier Gulf Air hosts a two-day emergency planning and response workshop, for airline executives organized by the Arab Air Carriers Organization.
Gulf Air signs an agreement to lease four new Boeing 777 ER aircraft from Jet Airways as part of its re-fleeting and product enhancement strategy.
A joint cooperation agreement signed between Gulf Air and Bahrain International Circuit to promote 2009 Formula One Bahrain Grand Prix.
March
Gulf Air donates educational materials to school children in Nepal as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility programme.
Gulf Air receives first of the four Boeing 777 ER aircraft leased from Jet Airways, which will be used on a number of routes including London, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, and intra Gulf routes.
Gulf Air signs a Global Incentive Agreement Programme with TNT Express to provide its key global partners with incentives to boost its cargo traffic volume.
Gulf Air signs a fleet maintenance contract with the Singapore-based SIA Engineering Company Limited.
The government of Nepal honours Gulf Air with an award for carrying the highest number of passengers between January and October in 2008.
April
Gulf Air introduces a new medical insurance policy offering comprehensive medical insurance benefits to all of its employees.
Gulf Air-sponsored football team Queens Park Rangers concludes their end of the season tour with their final match in Bahrain.
Gulf Air announces flights for the summer to the popular vacation destinations of Alexandria and Salalah.
Gulf Air selects CFM56-5B engines to power 15 new Airbus A320 fleet scheduled for delivery between late 2009 and 2012.
May
Gulf Air has successfully completes the IATA Operational Safety Audit and renews its place in the IOSA Registry until 2011.
Gulf Air announces sponsorship of the Bahrain International Air show to be held from 21 to 23 January 2010. Gulf Air will be official carrier of the event.
Gulf Air sets a new record of 85% in its fleet punctuality during January to April in 2009.
Gulf Air and Credimax announce a joint venture promotion offering 10% discount for its card holders.
Gulf Air’s Chief People Officer Ahmed Al Banna receives a global honor in an international forum for his remarkable contributions to the field of Human Resources in Bahrain and worldwide.
400 employees receive long-service awards in an award ceremony at the Gulf Air club, for their loyalty and dedication to the national carrier over the past 10 to 35 years.
June
Gulf Air’s iconic golden falcon is displayed on a total of 50 hackney carriages in London in full Gulf Air livery to promote the airline, and strengthen its network and brand awareness.
Gulf Air celebrates World Environment Day as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility program which focuses on specific areas such as climate change, clean air & water, waste management and community service with goals to support each.
Boeing holds two day Airline Planning Seminar for Gulf Air’s management team.
Gulf Air participates in the International Paris Air Show- Le Bourget.
Gulf Air signs a Memorandum of Understanding with Rolls Royce for the Trent 700EP engines worth US$1.5bn to power Gulf Air’s new A330s.
Gulf Air and French National Railway SNCF enter codeshare agreement to provide passengers seamless travel to almost 20 destinations across France.
Gulf Air chooses Honeywell to provide fifteen 131-9A Auxiliary Power Units and a maintenance programme for its new Airbus A320 fleet whose deliveries are scheduled from 2009 through 2012.
Gulf Air launches flights to three new popular destinations- Aleppo, Alexandria and Salalah for the summer season which will continue till mid-September.
July
Gulf Air announces appointment of a new Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Samer Majali, ex-CEO of the Royal Jordanian, replacing Mr. Björn Näf.
Gulf Air’s Frequent Flyer Programme has won the title of “Middle East’s Leading Airline Reward Programme” at the 2009 World Travel Awards.
Gulf Air signs a Memorandum of Understanding with the Bahrain Government’s General Directorate for the Protection of the Environment and Wildlife, to cooperate on a number of CSR programmes.
August
New Chief Executive Officer Mr. Samer Majali begins work at Gulf Air on 1 of this month.
Gulf Air announces commencing services to Baghdad, Iraq from September 1, following which the cities of Najaf and Erbil will be added to its destination list by the end of the month.
Gulf Air upgrades its safety standards by acquiring a world class flight safety system, also known as the Flight Data Monitoring System from Austin Digital, Texas.
Gulf Air Chairman Talal Al Zain officially introduces Chief Executive Officer Samer Majali to the media followed by employee presentations.
Gulf Air signs a $70m ijara facility with the Bahrain Islamic Bank to partially finance eight A320 aircraft which will be delivered in the fourth quarter of 2009 and the first quarter of 2010.
September
Gulf Air starts services to Baghdad on 1 of this month with five times a week service
Gulf Air CEO Samer Majali was voted to serve on the Executive Committee of the Arab Air Carriers Organization.
Gulf Air expands its network into Iraq by commencing flights to Najaf from 26 September 4 times a week, and flying into Erbil on 26 October with 3 flights every week.
Gulf Air commences flights to Najaf, it’s second destination in Iraq with a weekly service operating four times a week to the Holy city.
Gulf Air supports the “Think Pink Bahrain” campaign for the fifth year in a row, joining the rest of the world to raise awareness of breast cancer during the month of October.
October
Gulf Air welcomes a brand new A320 aircraft into its fleet as a part of the airline’s re-fleeting programme which will continue until April 2010 where one A320 aircraft will be received each month, and an additional two A320s in December 2010.
Gulf Air observes “Think Pink Day” at the national headquarters where employees, dressed in pink, donate money in a show of solidarity to spread the awareness of breast cancer.
Gulf Air signs MoU with the Government Organization for Youth and Sports to become the official carrier of the Bahrain National Football Team to New Zealand, as they continue in their World Cup bid.
Tens of boxes of utility items donated to the Palm Association as a part of Gulf Air’s Corporate Social Responsibility in its continuous efforts to support the local community.
Gulf Air launches flights three times a week to Erbil in Northern Iraq, the third Iraqi city on its network.
November
CEO Samer Majali gets re-elected to the IATA Board of Governors, having served there previously as the chairman from June 2008 to June 2009.
Gulf Air flies a chartered aircraft carrying the Bahrain national football team to Wellington to play a decisive match against New Zealand on Nov 14 as part of the bid to secure a place in the 2010 World Cup Finals in South Africa.
An independent survey commissioned by Gulf Air has indicated tremendous support for a strategic review of the airline’s business.
Gulf Air unveils a new strategy which focuses on three core elements – a more focused international network, a superior, more consistent product and a modern, more efficient fleet that will optimize value.
Gulf Air’s Head of Customer Care and Services Monitoring, Kavita Al Jassim gets elected as the first-ever chairwoman from the Middle East and the first Bahraini national, to head the Worldwide Airlines Customer Relations Association (WACRA), representing 78 international airlines.
December
Bahraini Women’s Day, initiated by Her Royal Highness Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa, was celebrated by Gulf Air at its national headquarters with over 75 female employees from across the organization who came together to mark the event.
Gulf Air flies back journalist and Radio Bahrain reporter David Bloomer, who, along with four others, was detained and later released by Iran for entering the country’s waters accidentally.
Gulf Air launches a brand new, easy-to-access, multi-lingual website available in English and Arabic now, and soon to be launched in French and German for its international customers.
Gulf Air dispatches free of charge relief cargo containing food, clothes & blankets to Manila to help the people affected by Typhoon Ketsana.
Gulf Air introduces a series of initiatives to annually reduce around 33,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions from its aircraft.
Gulf Air is now the no. 1 airline in the Gulf and declared popular amongst the top 10 airlines, by many followers on an international network forum, namely www.twitter.com.
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January
Gulf Air introduces fast & convenient web-check in and seat selection service.
Gulf Air sponsors Bahrain International Air show held from Jan 21 to 23, the first of its kind for the country.
The Bahrain International Air Show proves to be a great success for Gulf Air with the airline concluding a number of key deals.
Gulf Air sells two Airbus A340s as a part of its fleet realignment strategy.
February
Gulf Air and Tamkeen honor hundreds of Bahraini graduates comprising of pilots, engineers and various employees from the airline under the Tamkeen-sponsored Career Progression Programme.
Gulf Air introduces Braille in-flight entertainment guide for visually impaired passengers.
Gulf Air launches its own Toastmasters Club to help employees develop their communication skills.
Gulf Air launches new recruitment campaign to recruit Bahrainis for customer-facing positions.
Gulf Air and TravelPort enter a new global full content agreement that will give all Galileo and Worldspan-connected travel agents worldwide access to the airline’s full range of published fares and inventory.
March
Gulf Air launches Falcon Gold, a new premium cabin service that offers First Class travel experience for a traditional Business Class fare.
Gulf Air introduces a new dimension to travel with the inaugural flight of the airline’s new Embraer E-170 AR aircraft to Larnaca.
Passengers onboard Gulf Air’s flight from Bahrain to Dubai spent time with celebrity CNN news presenter Richard Quest, who played the role of the airline’s cabin crew for a day.
Gulf Air turned 60 on March 24, 2010. Airline’s management and staff come together to celebrate the historic occasion in a series of events.
April
Gulf Air and Jet Airways sign a codeshare agreement for services between India and Bahrain.
An IATA Customer Satisfaction Survey from over 20,000 passengers rates Gulf Air’s cabin crew as excellent, with the airline’s overall satisfaction rating also showing an increase of 8%, compared to 2008.
Three of Gulf Air’s sky chefs won awards for their excellent demonstration and display of culinary skills at the annual ‘Chef Masters Salon Culinaire Bahrain.’
A 20 member delegation from the American Chamber of Commerce in Bahrain visits Gulf Air CEO
Gulf Air operates extra flights to transport passengers home, who have been affected by the Icelandic volcano ash cloud.
Gulf Air launches dedicated Business-to-Business internet booking service for its corporate customers and travel agents.
May
Gulf Air joins hands in a new frequent flyer partnership with Harbour3Sixty, one of the new business centers in the Bahrain Financial Harbor. Gulf Air launches a voluntary redundancy/retirement scheme for its employees. Gulf Air appoints Mr. Maher Salman Al Musallam, an aviation professional from the Royal Bahraini Air Force as the new Deputy CEO of the airline. The first group of Bahraini Female Cabin Crew joins Gulf Air, who was recruited under a joint initiative with Tamkeen. Gulf Air launches a mileage calculator for its frequent flyers thereby giving members the convenient option of calculating their miles on a user friendly map of the airline’s network on gulfair.com. Gulf Air introduces free train transfers in Germany through Deutsche Bahn and concessional train fares in London through the Heathrow Express service. Gulf Air introduces online purchase of travel insurance at gulfair.com with a premium as low as BD 5.800. JuneGulf Air launches services to Alexandria, Aleppo and Medina. Gulf Air’s Customer Service Training programme takes off with 22 employees becoming "Customer Service Champions" of the organization. Gulf Air flies a peace delegation to Gaza. Gulf Air CEO Samer Majali is re-elected to the IATA Board of Governors followed by the announcement of his appointment at the 66th IATA Annual General Meeting and the World Air Transport Summit in Berlin. Gulf Air’s first Social Media Network promotion on Facebook and Twitter offering a special 25% discount on all flights for 12 hours becomes huge success with tickets sold 14 times more than normal. Nokia and Gulf Air join hands to launch a special “Buy & Fly” promotion. Gulf Air signs up AVISA Middle East to provide the airline with Continuing Airworthiness Management (CAMO) services.
July
Gulf Air’s Worldwide Contact Centre goes 24/7.
Gulf Air announces commencing services to Aden and Colombo in October/November.
Gulf Air’s Cargo services have won the AirCargo Award for Excellence at the Third Annual Air Cargo World event.
Gulf Air donates utility items to charity organization Palm Association to support the local community.
August
Eight Bahraini women join Gulf Air as the very first national cabin crew of the country.
Gulf Air announces launch of new routes to Addis Ababa, Basra and Isfahan in Dec 2010/Jan 2011
Gulf Air launches a special Ramadan campaign offering customers a chance to win over 7000 prizes.
Gulf Air donates relief cargo materials to Pakistan flood victims.
Gulf Air celebrates Gurgaoan with passengers at the Bahrain International Airport.
National carrier joins hands with Costa Coffee Middle East in an exclusive advertising campaign.
Members of the Bahrain Journalists Association are offered 25% discount on flight tickets on Gulf Air’s network.
Gulf Air staff and families celebrate Ghabga and Gurgaon activities as part of the Ramadan celebrations at the Gulf Air club.
Gulf Air launches first-of-its-kind photo and video contest on its Facebook page.
Gulf Air sponsors 2010 E-commerce Forum, Bahrain as the official carrier.
September
Gulf Air introduces a new incentive for its frequent flyers where miles earned can be redeemed against excess baggage.
The national carrier offers complimentary tickets to various charity organizations in Bahrain to visit Islamic holy lands.
CEO Samer Majali wins “Aviation CEO of the Year” award at the annual CEO Middle East Awards.
Gulf Air begins services to Aden, Yemen – the region’s first carrier to commence services to the city.
Gulf Air supports Think Pink campaign to raise awareness of breast cancer.
October
Gulf Air’s Senior Manager of Customer Care Ms. Kavita Sharma Jassim, chairs the 52 nd Annual Conference of the Worldwide Airlines Customer Relations Association.
Gulf Air sponsors UNEP’s Fifth Global Environment Outlook conference.
Gulf Air re-launches services to Colombo, Sri Lanka after a gap of eight years.
The Gulf Air family welcomes the second group of all-Bahraini female cabin crew.
Two more new Embraer aircraft join Gulf Air’s fleet making a total of four Embraers in the airline’s fleet.
GF joins hands with the Ministry of Culture to promote national and international festivals and events.
November
Gulf Air celebrates Think Pink Day.
Gulf Air participates in the AVEX International Airshow held at Sharm El Sheikh.
Gulf Air wins the Travel Agents’ Choice award at the World Travel Market Expo in London for being the most recommended airline to clients travelling to the Middle East.
Gulf Air and CarTrawler, the leading provider of car hire solutions to the world’s airline industry, sign an agreement by which Car Trawler’s services will now be integrated into all of Gulf Air’s key consumer touch points, enabling the airline to sell real-time inventory from major and local car rental suppliers in the airline’s destinations.
Gulf Air launches the Customer Focus Group, first of its kind in the region that engages customers face-to-face to seek their opinions and valuable suggestions.
December
Gulf Air’s Facebook fans gather together to celebrate the region’s first of its kind social networking event.
Gulf Air celebrates Bahraini Women’s Day at the national headquarters.
Gulf Air and Gulf Aviation Academy sign a comprehensive training agreement to provide a wide range of training services to Gulf Air pilots, cabin crew, ground staff and trainee aircraft engineers on its facilities.
Gulf Air supports the Cherry Tree Trot charity campaign organized by the American Women’s Association with flight tickets.
Gulf Air receives two more A320s thereby successfully completing the first phase of her fleet-renewal programme on schedule marking a total of 34 aircraft in the entire fleet. | | | Top |
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January
Gulf Air announces services to Geneva in Switzerland and Milan in
Italy.
Gulf Air begins flights to Isfahan- its fourth destination in Iran.
Services to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia launched.
CEO Samer Majali chairs the Aviation Travel and Tourism Governors Meeting at
the World Economic Forum 2011.
Gulf Air schedules extra flights to Cairo to bring home several Bahraini
students stranded due to the unrest in Egypt.
22 Bahraini nationals from KPMG undergo training at Gulf Air’s Procurement
Department.
February
Gulf Air introduces new portable in-flight entertainment players (PMP) for
Falcon Gold passengers.
Gulf Air’s senior most Bahraini pilot, Captain Abdul Sattar Al Alawi retires.
Gulf Air welcomes the third batch of its all-Bahraini female cabin crew for
training.
National carrier celebrates the 10th National Charter Anniversary of the Kingdom
of Bahrain.
The 2011 Gulf Air Bahrain Formula One Grand Prix is postponed.
Gulf Air announces the launch of its flights between Milan and Bahrain at a
press conference in Milan. Service to begin from 27 March.
March
Gulf Air adds Basra to its network – its fourth destination in Iraq,
from 02 March with four weekly flights.
Gulf Air unveils state-of-the-art Falcon Gold lounge at the London Heathrow
Airport on 07 March.
Gulf Air’s Twitter fans demonstrate their love and support for the airline
in a get together.
Gulf Air and InJaz Bahrain join hands to support the organization’s
economic-education efforts.
Gulf Air launches flights to Kabul, - the first ‘full service’, scheduled
commercial carrier in the Middle East to connect Afghanistan – from 22 March
with four weekly flights.
1300 Bahraini employees join Tamkeen’s Career Progression Programme
training.
Gulf Air signs a contract with Standard Chartered Financing for the purchase
and leaseback of two new Airbus A320-200 aircraft.
Gulf Air officially begins its direct flights to Milan from 27 March and
Geneva in Switzerland from 29 March.
Gulf Air installs defibrillators in its fleet as a first aid emergency
measure for passengers who might get a heart stroke.
April
Gulf Air receives the Continuing Airworthiness Management Organization
(CAMO) approval from the Bahrain Civil Aviation Authority. The approval is
considered first of its kind issued by the BCAA for a local company in
Bahrain and the region.
Gulf Air introduces a new check-in service in Paris with dedicated counters
for its Falcon Gold passengers, and Gold and Silver Frequent Flyer Programme
members.
Gulf Air revamps its World Wide Contact Centre with a new a state-of-the-art
technology to better serve its customers.
Gulf Air announces services to two more destinations - Copenhagen in Denmark
and Nairobi in Kenya.
Following increasing passenger demand, frequency between and Bahrain and
Milan is increased from four to six per week.
Gulf Air chooses low carbon leather for its new A320 Falcon Gold class seats
adding more comfort for passengers and as a CSR initiative.
Gulf Air donates several utility items to the Children and Mothers Welfare
Society as part of its CSR activities to serve the local community.
Gulf Air employees join the rest of Bahrain’s celebrations, demonstrating
their love to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The Blue Elephant restaurant, Bangkok joins Gulf Air in a lucky draw, where
a grand prize of return air tickets to Paris and a dinner at the Thai
restaurant in the French capital is offered to a lucky winner.
May
Gulf Air signs partnership agreements with government organizations
offering travel discounts to their employees and family members.
Gulf Air showcases new routes, products and services at the Arabian Travel
Market 2011.
Gulf Air appoints a new chief commercial officer, Mr. Karim Makhlouf.
Gulf Air’s cabin crew are rated ‘excellent’ for the second year in a row by
the latest IATA Customer Satisfaction Survey.
At the World Economic Forum, Gulf Air CEO strongly supports the importance
of achieving the goals of carbon-neutral growth.
Gulf Air completes its international safety audit and renews her place on
the IOSA Registry.
A third group of Bahraini women cabin crew join Gulf Air.
Gulf Air launches a first-of-its-kind aviation workshop for various
journalists to help them better understand the operations of the carrier.
Gulf Air increases the frequency of its flights to Kathmandu, Nepal.
Gulf Air flies to Alexandria, Egypt to meet the heavy demand of passenger
traffic with the summer rush.
The national carrier joins hands with UNEP and the Ministry of Education to
launch a campaign celebrating the ‘Year of Forests’. Initiatives include a
nature awareness camp for Bahraini school children, and a documentary film
onboard Gulf Air.
June
The national carrier celebrates World Environment Day and plants over
500 tree saplings at its headquarters.
Gulf Air introduces a new online system to better assist passengers with
their check-in and departure services.
Gulf Air resumes flights to Beirut, Lebanon.
Gulf Air takes top travel agents and media members on a familiarization
visit to Milan, Italy.
The national carrier’s services division marks one year of its
accomplishments having achieved over BD1m in cost savings.
Gulf Air is represented at the Worldwide Airlines Customer Relations
Association (WACRA) in Iceland by its senior manager Customer Care & Service
Quality Control once again.
At the Le Bourget Paris Air Show, Gulf Air signs a deal with International
Aero Engines AG to power six of its A321 aircraft.
Gulf Air signs a contract with Panasonic Avionics Corporation for its global
communications suite’s in-flight broadband connectivity and mobile phone
services.
July
Gulf Air launches flights to Copenhagen on 1 July and signs a marketing
agreement with ‘Wonderful Copenhagen’ to promote the new destination.
Services to Nairobi, Kenya launched on 5 July.
The national carrier changes its Beirut flight schedule both locally as
well as in Saudi Arabia due to customer demands.
Gulf Air launches a summer bonanza campaign to celebrate Bahrain’s
Summer Festival.
Gulf Air unveils a host of new commercial initiatives in Bahrain to be
followed by other regions.
Gulf Air sponsors Qatar’s Filipino Bowling Club Season League.
The national carrier launches a new ad campaign, ‘Straight from the
heart’ to win back the hearts and minds of the people of Bahrain.
Gulf Air launches special Ramadan packages to target its major customer
segments.
Gulf Air hosts a seminar for local travel agents.
August
The national carrier launches its Ramadan community service as part of
its CSR plans.
Gulf Air launches a new cargo management system, ‘CargoSpot’
A large number of Bahraini media members attend the Ghabgha hosted by
Gulf Air.
Gulf Air offers tickets at half price to select destinations celebrating
the spirit of Ramadan Gergaon.
Gulf Air celebrates Gergaon with passengers at the Bahrain International
Airport.
Gulf Air’s new winter schedule offers direct flights to and from Beirut,
Aden and Sana’a, more flights to and from Istanbul, the Indian
sub-continent, Africa, increases flights to flights to GCC destinations,
Colombo, and offers flexible flight options to Dammam.
Gulf Air hosts a Ghabga for its corporate leaders.
Gulf Air launches ‘Cloud Computing’ to boost its business performance
and services- the first company in Bahrain to introduce this cutting
edge technology.
Gulf Air announces the launch of its services to three new destinations-
Rome, Entebbe and Juba
The national carrier renews its official international safety audit
certification (IOSA) from IATA reiterating the airline’s world class
safety standards.
Gulf Air flight GF270 from Bahrain to Kochi skids off the runway while
landing at Cochin International Airport, India on 27 August early
morning. All passengers and crew safe.
September
Gulf Air appoints Dr. Jassim Haji as the airline’s Director of Information
Technology.
The national carrier unveils its newly launched commercial initiatives and
marketing strategy to the Qatari market.
Gulf Air’s Board of Directors meet to discuss the airline’s performance
Gulf Air hosts the second seminar for local travel agents.
Gulf Air celebrates its 60 years of service to Saudi Arabia in Dammam.
Gulf Air signs a ‘Falcon Flyer’ frequent flyer deal with Bahrain Credit.
The national carrier increases flights to and from Kathmandu, Nepal due to high
customer demand.
Gulf Air hosts a dinner for regional travel agents.
October
Gulf Air delegation visits the General Authority of Civil Aviation
in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to boost its relationship.
Gulf Air offers one more incentive to frequent flyer members.
Gulf Air becomes the very first airline in the world to launch ‘Sky Hub’ -
offering global live television and the latest in In-Flight Connectivity
including Broadband and Mobile Phone service.
The fourth batch of Bahraini Female Cabin Crew graduate from a Tamkeen-sponsored
programme.
Gulf Air unveils its new commercial initiatives in Oman.
The national carrier participates in ASU careers day in Bahrain.
Gulf Air meets with Uganda’s trade and media ahead of the Entebbe launch.
Gulf Air joins hands with AMEX to reach over 88 million card members.
Gulf Air’s Abu Dhabi office celebrates Diwali.
The national carrier renews its reservations systems agreement with Sabre
Airline Solutions.
Gulf Air supports the Think Pink Bahrain campaign.
November
Gulf Air wins the Best Airline Award for promoting Corporate Social
Responsibility at the fifth annual Aviation Business Awards (ABA) in Dubai
for its year-long notable achievements.
Gulf Air expands its codeshare partnership with American Airlines adding 22
more cities in the US.
Gulf Air unveils new commercial initiatives for the Eastern Province of
Saudi Arabia.
Gulf Air offers ‘fly once and earn a free ticket’ for its Falconflyer
members.
Gulf Air hosts ‘Skypals 2011’ in Bahrain- a social media network event
bringing together its social media fans.
The national carrier’s Integrated Operations Centre staff gets advance
training in Flight Operations.
Gulf Air launches its inaugural flight to Rome on 30 November- its second
destination in Italy.
December
Gulf Air celebrates Bahraini Women’s Day.
Gulf Air’s inaugural flight to Entebbe, Uganda takes off on 5 December.
Gulf Air celebrates 40 years of its India operations with a media conference
and trade event in Mumbai.
Gulf Air cabin crew wins ‘In-flight Sales Person of the Year’ award yet
again.
Gulf Air celebrates Bahrain’s National Day with all its staff members taking
part in a variety of events.
The national carrier unveils its new, fully modernized, spacious sales
office in Seef Mall, Bahrain.
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