Gulf Air Chairman Welcomes Talks with Airline’s Unions

Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain – 31 January 2018: H.E. Mr. Zayed Bin Rashid Alzayani, Chairman of Gulf Air’s Board of Directors, alongside Gulf Air Chief Executive Officer Mr. Krešimir Kučko and Gulf Air Deputy Chief Executive Officer Captain Waleed Abdulhameed Al Alawi, today welcomed talks with Gulf Air’s three unions at the airline’s Muharraq headquarters.

The meeting saw representatives and members of the national carrier’s three unions engage in an active two-way dialogue with the airline’s executive management. All parties pledged their enduring commitment to open, productive communications aimed at enhancing and promoting the airline’s workforce towards the success of the airline.

H.E. Mr. Zayed Bin Rashid Alzayani urged ongoing active engagement and maximised cooperation between the airline’s executive management and unions, emphasising the importance of credible news sources versus hearsay. He also stressed that in order for Gulf Air’s development strategy to be successfully realised, its internal stakeholders need to be mobilised, actively involved and committed to a shared vision for the airline.

“We are committed to moving forward together as key partners in Gulf Air’s development and strategic growth. As such we always welcome feedback from Gulf Air’s three unions and the discussions we had today served to further underline the important role they play in making the workplace more productive and inclusive. Ongoing collaboration between all parties is critical to supporting Bahrain’s national carrier, helping us move forward collectively.”

Gulf Air’s three existing unions consist of the Gulf Air Trade Union, National Labour Union of Gulf Air and Flight Attendants General Trade Union represented by Sawsan AlAradi, Mahmood Yousif and AbdulQader Hussain respectively.

Gulf Air’s highly anticipated incoming fleet of 39 new Boeing and Airbus aircraft will see by end-2018 the arrival of 5 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners and 2 Airbus A320Neo aircraft. Alongside this, the airline is expected to soon announce its development strategy for the coming years. The strategy will include expansion plans and will be geared towards elevating the passenger experience, promoting Bahrain’s tourism economy and bolstering the Kingdom’s aviation, transport, tourism and business infrastructures and the aviation industry as a whole.