News
Gulf Air confirms 40 Airbus and Boeing orders at Bahrain Air Show
January 22nd 2016
Bahraini flag carrier, Gulf Air, has adjusted a previous order with Airbus to sign on for an increased fleet of A320neo family aircraft, including 17 A321s and twelve A320s, with deliveries from 2018. The commitment will replace the carrier’s 22 A320ceo family jets. Read More » The deal, signed at the Bahrain International Air Show on Thursday, will replace Gulf Air’s 2012 order for ten A320neos and six A330-300s. Speaking at the show, Airbus CEO, Fabrice Brégier, confirmed a net gain of 13 aircraft with the customer. Using the neo will "provide future network expansion opportunities, both regionally and into Europe and the Indian subcontinent", Gulf Air said.
After dropping the A330 order, Gulf Air’s long-haul growth will depend entirely on the B787 Dreamliner. Gulf had 16 B787-8s on order with the U.S. manufacturer, but converted these to the larger -9 variant at the air show this week. Deliveries of the -9 will start in in the second quarter of 2018.
With Gulf Air’s Airbus and Boeing orders restructured, the carrier’s fleet will grow from 28 aircraft to 41. The fleet expansion could continue after Gulf’s acting CEO, Maher Salman Al Musallam, told media in Bahrain he expected to conclude talks with Bombardier "within the next couple of months" about a pending order for ten CSeries regional jets.
Gulf Air has endured a lengthy restructuring aimed to return the loss-making national carrier to profit. It reported an annual loss of 62.7 million dinars ($166.3 million) for 2014, down from a 93.3 million dinars loss in 2013.
