Year of 'change' for Gulf Air as Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner joins fleet
BAHRAIN’s first Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, which officially landed for the first time yesterday, marks the beginning of “change” at Gulf Air, according to the airline’s chairman Zayed Alzayani.
The aircraft touched down at Bahrain International Airport (BIA) from Seattle Tacoma International Airport at 3pm with three passengers, including Gulf Air chief executive Krešimir Kucko.
It was met with a water salute on the tarmac.
VIPs including Mr Alzayani, who is also the Industry, Commerce and Tourism Minister, Telecommunications and Transportation Minister Kamal Ahmed, Gulf Air deputy chief executive Captain Waleed Al Alawi and UK Ambassador Simon Martin were at the arrival lounge to welcome the aircraft.
It is the first of the national carrier’s planned addition of 39 Boeing and Airbus aircraft to its fleet over the next four years, as it expands to become the “Gulf Air of tomorrow”.
The purchase orders for the planes worth a total of $7.6 billion were announced at the Bahrain International Airshow in 2016 and the expansion marks a U-turn for a carrier that has undergone a massive cost-cutting drive.
“It is a joyful day, not just for Gulf Air, but also for Bahrain and we have waited long enough for this day, to get this state-of-the-art aircraft,” Mr Alzayani told the GDN.
“Today what you see here (the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner) is the top of aviation and we are happy to have it in our fleet.
“This is one of 10 aircraft that we aim to have – five this year and with this new addition we will have the capability to fly further and to open new destinations and expand our network.
“We are also getting another 29 Airbus (320-321) till 2023 and this will help us expand our network, as well as increase the frequency and capacity on existing routes.
“So, this is the year of change for Gulf Air and I am very confident to say that we are heading in the right direction.”
The aircraft was brought in earlier this month to carry out a fly-past at the Formula One race.
“There is a new spirit in the company, the team is very excited, very focused and as we announced, about a month and a half ago we launched our strategy publicly,” said Mr Alzayani.
“We carry the flag of Bahrain around the world, which is a big responsibility and I am sure the team will do it with pride.
“At the end of the day we are a service industry, where hardware plays a part, but the most important element is the software and the human element.
“So we are investing more in our training, our IT solutions, the quality on board – not just on the aircraft, but the full journey from booking home-to-home or hotel-to-hotel.
“We can see that the plane is a lot cleaner than the older ones – this is our image to the world: we are clean, confident, big and bold name, new uniform for the crew, lighter and fresh.
“We are really excited about the journey forward.”
The aircraft will make its first formal flight to Dubai on May 2 and by June, when the second one is expected to arrive, will make its international journey to London.
“It was a very exciting trip, a first-class experience by all standards, from all perspectives, both in business and economy class,” said Mr Kucko, who journeyed over 14 hours onboard the new aircraft.
“I am fresh – this reflects the first-class experience that we promise.
“The economy is premium with space and bigger screens.
Debut
“Until the second aircraft arrives, the aircraft will cover the GCC region so that the crew, handling agents and stakeholders get familiarised with it.
“The debut flight will be to Dubai, if everything goes well, on May 2.
“By the time the second one arrives or the latest by June, it will make its first international flight to London.
“This year we will also see flights to Casablanca, Bangkok and Manila.”
Gulf Air reduced losses by 62 per cent year-on-year from BD62.7 million in 2014 to BD24.1m in 2015 as a result of a restructuring that was started in 2013.
The figure was 88pc when compared with losses of BD196m ($519.8m) in 2012. The restructuring also saw a nearly 25pc reduction in the number of jobs at the airline, from 3,800 in 2012 to 2,800 in 2015.
