Gulf Air Expands Fleet with Boeing 787s
Sit tight, folks! Gulf Air is on a roll this week. This Bahrain-based airline hasn’t just decided to grace New York City (JFK) with its sky-high presence; oh no, it’s gone and clinched a deal to potentially triple its wide body collection. Talk about going big!
Gulf Air: Boosting Boeing 787 Fleet
Until now, Gulf Air’s wide body party featured 10 cozy Boeing 787-9s, along with a couple more somewhere down the pipeline. But wait for it—Gulf Air has just sealed a deal for a whopping 18 more Boeing 787s! Twelve orders are set in stone, and they’ve got the option for six extras. They’re ready to rock the skies with up to 30 Dreamliners. But details on which variants these new birds will be are still shrouded in mystery—could be an all 787-9 affair, but hey, maybe new models will crash the party! Deliveries? They’re sly like a fox about the timeline.
A quick peek at their current roster shows a squad of nearly three dozen Airbus A320-family aircraft models, including a mix of A320, A320neo, A321, A321neo, and A321LR. A nice blend, indeed.
Gulf Air’s head honcho, Chairman Khalid Taqi, is pretty jazzed about this development: “This agreement is a game-changer for Gulf Air’s journey to the stars. Our fleet keeps getting shinier and smarter. Thank you, Boeing 787 Dreamliner, for being stellar in our long-haul game. This move isn’t just about miles; it’s about bold ambitions, showcasing Bahrain as a star player in the global aviation show.”
Gulf Air: Sky-bound Ambitions
Let’s time-travel for a sec and reminisce about Gulf Air. In its heyday, it was the OG giant of the Gulf skies. Born from the visionary minds of Bahrain, Qatar, Abu Dhabi, and Oman in 1974, Gulf Air was their bright flying banner.
Then came a twist in the air plot. Dubai launched Emirates in 1985, snagging chunks of Gulf Air’s sky pie (shoutout to Tim Clark for making that happen, he worked at Gulf Air before jumping to build Emirates). The plot thickened with the rise of Qatar Airways, Etihad, and Oman Air.
Gulf Air gradually became like that old classic song everyone loved but rarely played. Outmuscled and outdated, its fleet felt more like a broken record. Connectivity? Almost a foreign word. It was slipping into oblivion as a connecting choice.
Now, Gulf Air’s pulling a phoenix act, stepping up with a modern touch. Their latest attempt at a spiffed-up terminal at their hub? Pretty snazzy. Curious minds wonder how this comeback attempt will fare:
- Even if they roll out the red carpet for 30 Dreamliners, Gulf Air’s still playing catch-up to its Gulf cousins.
- Meanwhile, the airline’s stratosphere sees giants coming to play—Riyadh Air’s launch, Air India and IndiGo aiming to reclaim some lost market share from Gulf bigwigs.
So, are they jetting off to ultra-long journeys ‘down under’ or to America? Will Asia and Europe finally see a denser Gulf Air presence?
Sure, some might argue straight cash profits might not be the flight path here. But hey, for a state-owned airline, it’s a game of creating economic ripples. Sometimes, expansion’s worth it, even if it doesn’t promise instant dollar signs.
Bottom Line
Gulf Air has just thrown down some serious Boeing 787 dollars. They’ve begun with a flex of 12 planes on hold and are angling for 18 more, including some wishlist items.
It’s an upswing for this Bahrain-based airline, pushing the envelope of what’s to come in their sky playbook. The nitty-gritty of when and how remains under wraps, but hey, the anticipation is half the fun.
So, what’s your take on this skyward move by Gulf Air? Fancy a ski trip? Check out Val Seny ski resort while you ponder.