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Friday, November 27 - 2009

Gulf Air service to Iraq imminent

Bahrain's national carrier Gulf Air can today announce that, following the completion of successful Government discussions last week, it intends to resume services to Iraq as soon as possible.

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  • Gulf Air.
    Gulf Air.
The decision to fly to Iraq follows the agreement made between the Governments of Bahrain and Iraq on 9th July, allowing the national carriers of the two countries to operate direct services between Bahrain and four cities in Iraq. A total of seven weekly flights have been authorised to operate from Bahrain to Baghdad and 12 weekly flights to Iraq's holy city of Najaf.

Talal Al Zain, Executive Chairman Gulf Air said:

"Gulf Air has one of the strongest, most connected networks across the Gulf and Middle East region and so the resumption of services to Iraq will further strengthen our reach. The commencement of our services to Iraq is still subject to Gulf Air safety audits which are currently taking place. However, it is our intention to operate services to Baghdad from September this year, and daily service to Najaf once the airport infrastructure there is in place. Both operations will use A320 narrow body aircraft at the initial stage."


According to Iraqi officials approximately 25,000 visit visas were issued to Bahrainis last year .

Mr. Al Zain continued: "There is clearly a demand for a direct service from Bahrain to Iraq and, in line with our commitment as the Kingdom's national carrier to serve the travel needs of the people of Bahrain, we are excited about the prospect of adding Iraq to the list of countries we serve."

Gulf Air first started flying to Iraq's capital Baghdad over thirty years ago in 1976.
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Notes and media contacts

About Gulf Air
Gulf Air, the national carrier of the Kingdom of Bahrain, was founded in 1950 and is one of the oldest airlines in the Middle East. It is owned by Bahrain Mumtalakat Holdings Company.

Backed by more than half a century of experience, expertise and customer care, Gulf Air has established as a powerful brand and today, it is the carrier of choice for most people in the region. However, its goal has remained unchanged - the commitment to providing state-of-the-art flying experience, complemented by its traditional Arabian hospitality.

One of the prime objectives of the carrier is to connect Bahrain to the Middle East countries and the rest of the world. The airline offers customers the unique advantage of operating the largest network in the Middle East with non-stop flights while providing seamless onward connections to other destinations. Gulf Air's current network stretches from Europe to Asia, connecting 42 cities in 27 countries, with a fleet of 39 aircraft. The airline has code-share agreement with 15 airlines across the world offering a wider choice of flights that can be booked directly with Gulf Air.

In alignment with the dynamic growth plans of the Kingdom as laid out in 'Vision 2030', Gulf Air has embarked on a business strategy to re-fleet itself over the next five years to further strengthen its presence as a leading player. The airline has placed an order to purchase 24 Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft and another order with Airbus to purchase 35 aircraft that includes A320s and A330s.

Gulf Air is the Official Airline and Sponsor of the Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix 2009 and London-based football club Queens Park Rangers.

For further information:

Ms. Katherine Kaczynska
Gulf Air, P.O. Box: 138. Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain
Phone: 00973 17338416

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