Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain – 21 March 2018: Gulf Air, the Kingdom of Bahrain’s national carrier, will launch direct 5 weekly flights to the Saudi Arabian cities of Abha and Tabuk from 15th June 2018. Taking the total number of cities served by Gulf Air in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to 7, the launch of direct operations to Abha and Tabuk will be in addition to the airline’s current operations to Dammam, Riyadh, Madina Al Munawarah, Jeddah and Gassim. The network expansion coincides with the airline’s new aircraft deliveries, of which 5 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners and 2 Airbus A320neos will enter Gulf Air’s fleet by end-2018.

Gulf Air Chief Executive Officer Mr. Krešimir Kučko commented, “The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has always been one of the most strategically important markets for us as the announcement of these 2 new destinations reiterates. With these new additions, it becomes one of Gulf Air’s most heavily served countries within the Gulf Air network, by number of cities and frequencies. This is a testament to its significance. By connecting more destinations in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with Bahrain we are expanding the commercial, tourism and religious travel opportunities between the two countries and beyond. As we welcome our new fleet, Gulf Air’s network will continue to expand giving our Saudi passengers greater travel options across the globe, onboard state-of-the-art aircraft and with superior products and services.”

In Q2 2018 Gulf Air will also launch direct flights to Bangalore and Calicut in India, Alexandria and Sharm El Shaikh in Egypt, Baku in Azerbaijan and Casablanca in Morocco.

Gulf Air operates double daily flights or more to select destinations across the GCC, MENA region, Indian Subcontinent and Europe providing seamless connectivity for passengers travelling across its network via its efficient Bahrain International Airport hub. Further information on Gulf Air’s flight schedules and bookings can be found online at gulfair.com, by calling the airline’s 24-hour Worldwide Contact Centre on (+973) 17373737, or through any Gulf Air sales office and approved travel agencies.