For a number of years now, executives at Bahrain-based Gulf Air have been speaking about plans for the airline to renew flights to the USA. In September 2024, the corporate’s CEO indicated that service might begin inside a 12 months. Then in April 2025, Gulf Air obtained regulatory approval for launching such service.
Effectively, there’s now an thrilling replace, as that is official, and flights for the brand new route are actually on sale…
Gulf Air including United States flights quickly
As of October 1, 2025, Gulf Air will begin flying 3x weekly between Bahrain (BAH) and New York (JFK). The brand new service will function with the next schedule:
GF91 Bahrain to New York departing 4:00AM arriving 10:55AM
GF90 New York to Bahrain departing 3:00PM arriving 10:35AM (+1 day)
The service will function in each instructions on Sundays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and can use Terminal 1 at JFK. The 6,613-mile flight is blocked at 13hr55min westbound and 12hr35min eastbound. Gulf Air will use a Boeing 787-9 for the route, that includes 282 seats, together with 26 enterprise class seats and 256 financial system class seats.
Remember the fact that Air Canada and Gulf Air have a partnership. This can be a nice strategy to redeem miles for journey between the USA and the Center East (and past). Plainly as of now, the airline has launched one enterprise class award seat per flight.
The airline flew to New York and Houston again within the day (if I recall accurately, Gulf Air truly flew from Bahrain to New York to Houston), although that route was lower over 25 years in the past. Presently the airline operates flights completely to Europe, Asia, and Africa.
Right here’s how Gulf Air CEO Jeffrey Goh describes this growth:
“We’re excited to announce the launch of our direct flights to New York’s JFK and our return to the North American market. This service aligns with Gulf Air’s technique of calibrated growth and serving strategic markets, offering passengers with better selection and comfort for journey, by way of Bahrain Worldwide Airport, between Bahrain and North America, and past, supporting the connectivity technique of the Kingdom.”
How does Gulf Air count on to achieve the US?
Is Gulf Air resuming United States flights as a result of the airline thinks it will probably truly make cash flying right here, or is that this about status and enterprise ties? Gulf Air executives have traditionally acknowledged that the airline is extra of a boutique service, and that’s the energy the corporate hopes to give attention to. As the earlier CEO of the airline admitted:
“You may’t compete with airways which are larger in dimension, quantity or with costs. You may solely compete in high quality. I can compete with any airline, irrespective of the dimensions, with the standard of my product. That’s the battle I willingly take part with an opportunity to win.”
“We need to provide our passengers conventional Arabian hospitality. Which for that to essentially put true which means into follow, you actually need to supply one thing distinctive.”
I completely respect a CEO who needs to spend money on the product, although he additionally acknowledged that his airline couldn’t compete by way of schedule or value.
Pre-pandemic, a complete of below two dozen passengers per day traveled between New York and Bahrain (primarily based on printed passenger knowledge), so there isn’t adequate demand for this route by way of point-to-point visitors. So that is all about connectivity, which additionally means the competitors is fierce.
The truth is that Gulf Air’s greatest opponents are additionally recognized for his or her wonderful merchandise, whether or not we’re speaking about Emirates’ A380 enterprise class or Qatar Airways’ Qsuites. I doubt Gulf Air goes to seek out that individuals are keen to pay a premium to fly Gulf Air over these airways. That’s very true when you think about these airways fly to New York 3x each day, relatively than 3x weekly.
So including service to the US doesn’t precisely appear to be a money-making recipe. Then once more, in some ways lengthy haul economics are higher than prior to now, due to smaller, extra gas environment friendly planes, just like the Dreamliner.
Gulf Air has fairly the historical past as an airline
Gulf Air was the largest and most world airline within the Gulf area. The airline was based in 1974, when Bahrain, Qatar, Abu Dhabi, and Oman, obtained collectively to spend money on present Bahraini airline Gulf Aviation, to create a flag service for the 4 states.
Suffice it to say that the dynamics within the area have modified, and that actually began with Dubai launching Emirates in 1985, chipping away at Gulf Air’s market share and dominance. After all we then additionally noticed Qatar launch Qatar Airways, Abu Dhabi launch Etihad, and Oman launch Oman Air.
As that occurred, Gulf Air’s significance within the area continued to shrink, because it struggled to compete with friends and innovate. The airline had an outdated fleet, and didn’t have a worldwide route community. Nonetheless, the corporate has spent the previous a number of years present process a significant transformation, whereby the airline has modernized its fleet, opened a brand new terminal at its hub, and has targeted on its core strengths.
For instance, Gulf Air’s lengthy haul fleet now consists primarily of Boeing 787-9s, that includes wonderful Apex Suites in enterprise class. The airline has 10 of those in its fleet, with an extra two to be delivered.
That’s not all — the airline can also be taking supply of 16 Airbus A321neos (together with some “LR” variants), and a few of these characteristic totally flat beds in enterprise class, which is superior for regional flights. The airline is actually changing into a extra interesting possibility, although as of now the service solely flies as far West as London, and as far East as Manila.
Backside line
As of October 2025, Gulf Air is launching flights from Bahrain to New York. The service will likely be operated by the Boeing 787-9, and that is the primary time in many years that Gulf Air has served the USA. That is an thrilling growth for Gulf Air, because it’ll be by far the service’s longest route.
I’m curious to see how this route performs. The airline actually faces plenty of competitors, however no less than the 787 has nice economics…
What do you make of Gulf Air launching United States flights?
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