Gulf Air is the national carrier of the Kingdom of Bahrain, with its hub at Bahrain International Airport. Established in 1950, Gulf Air is one of the oldest airlines in the Middle East, predating the national carriers of most Gulf states by decades.
History
Gulf Air was originally founded as Gulf Aviation by a British pilot, Freddie Bosworth. The airline was jointly owned by the governments of Bahrain, Abu Dhabi, Oman, and Qatar for much of its history. This shared ownership structure reflected the airline’s role as a regional carrier serving multiple Gulf states. As individual countries established their own national airlines — Qatar Airways (1993), Etihad Airways (2003) — the shareholders withdrew, and Bahrain assumed sole ownership in 2007.
Operations
Gulf Air operates a fleet of narrow-body and wide-body aircraft serving destinations across the Middle East, the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, Africa, and Europe. The airline operates a boutique carrier model rather than competing on scale with Gulf mega-carriers like Emirates and Qatar Airways. Its network is designed to serve Bahrain’s connectivity needs and position Bahrain International Airport as a regional transit point.
Ownership
Gulf Air is wholly owned by Mumtalakat, the Bahrain sovereign wealth fund. The airline has undergone multiple restructuring programmes aimed at reducing losses and improving operational efficiency. Profitability has been a persistent challenge, with the airline historically reliant on government financial support.
Fleet
Gulf Air operates a modern fleet primarily comprising Boeing 787 Dreamliners for long-haul routes and Airbus A320neo family aircraft for short and medium-haul services. The airline has pursued fleet renewal and simplification to reduce operating costs.
Bahrain International Airport
The airline’s hub is Bahrain International Airport, which completed a significant terminal expansion and modernisation programme with the opening of a new passenger terminal in 2021.
Role in Vision 2030
Gulf Air supports the Bahrain Economic Vision 2030’s tourism and connectivity objectives. Air connectivity is essential for Bahrain’s financial services sector, tourism industry, and business environment. The airline provides the direct flight links that enable Bahrain to function as an international business hub. However, Gulf Air’s financial sustainability remains a challenge for the vision — the airline requires continued investment from Mumtalakat while competing against substantially larger and better-capitalised Gulf carriers.