Gulf Air today announced the expansion of its international network with the introduction of non-stop flights…
Gulf Air today announced the expansion of its international network with the introduction of non-stop flights between Manama, the Kingdom of Bahrain and Dublin, Ireland.
Flights start on 2 December, 2005 and will be operated by Airbus A330 aircraft, which features state-of-the-art sky beds in First and business class.
This becomes Gulf Air`s seventh destination in Europe and is in addition to the daily services to London Heathrow, Frankfurt, Paris and Athens and four days a week services to Istanbul and Larnaca.
The Dublin service will commence with three flights per week on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday with timings designed for excellent onward connections to the Far East and Australia.
Gulf Air President and Chief Executive James Hogan is delighted with the introduction of Gulf Air`s service into the Irish market.
We have organized a number of charter flights for the Irish Travel Trade over the past few years and we therefore know that the Irish business community and public are keen to fly to the Gulf, he said.
Business and leisure travellers now have a unique opportunity to fly direct to the Gulf from Dublin International Airport, which avoids the need to transit via Heathrow or another European hub, usually associated with journeys to the Middle East region.
The Republic of Ireland`s Ambassador to Bahrain Tom Russell said Gulf Air was responding dynamically to market indications of increased contact between Ireland and the Gulf for business and tourism, as well as for onward connections to the Far East, Australia and South Africa.
In addition, the 7,000 Irish citizens living in Gulf countries will now have easy connection with Ireland, as people in Ireland will have with them, he added.
This new service will provide passengers the opportunity to sample Gulf Air`s traditional Arabic hospitality coupled with other innovative and award winning services including its industry leading sky beds in first class, ultra modern business class cabin, Sky Chefs and Sky Nannies.
There are just eight seats in First Class and 24 in Business. They are wider, more comfortable, more private, more convenient and more spacious than those offered by any other airline at present, said Hogan.
Talking of luxury, Gulf Air introduced its qualified `Five-Star` chefs onboard flights in 2002 in order to provide to provide first class passengers with the choice, quality and individual attention associated with five-star hotels and international standard fine dining restaurants.
The chefs have been an outstanding success, helping us raise in-flight dining levels to new heights, said Hogan.
Whether it is salads being freshly tossed and dressed on demand, or meals being hand delivered, cooked to the chosen taste of the customer, all are presented to illustrate the talent and flair of the Inflight Chef.
In the latest World Airline Catering Awards published by Skytrax earlier this year, Gulf Air clinched top position for First and Business Class onboard catering on long-haul intercontinental flights.
While the Sky Nanny has yet to win an official travel award, in the popularity stakes among families travelling long haul on Gulf Air, the service is already `rated number one.`
Each Nanny is a fully qualified member of the in-flight service team, dedicated to delivering specialist care for children up to the age of 12 travelling with their parents, or as unaccompanied minors.
Development of this enhanced in-flight childcare service has been undertaken with the world famous Norland College, one of the foremost establishments in the world for childcare and education.
The main duties of the all-female complement of Sky Nannies is to provide qualified professional attention and care from the moment of boarding the flight to the end of the journey. This includes keeping children entertained and fed, giving parents a breather. A real plus on such a long journey.
This unique initiative illustrates our commitment to serving all our customers in ways which best suit their requirements, said Hogan. In short, we aim to ensure that our youngest passengers have a memorable pleasant travel experience.
Driven by new levels of service excellence and a range of product and service innovations Gulf Air has won a string of international awards further moving the airline back towards its former position as one of the world`s most respected airlines.
Gulf Air continues to go from strength to strength, concluded Hogan. As we move into the next stage of our growth strategy, we are acutely aware that what really sets apart airlines today is service and comfort. What we are now offering is new, unique and extraordinary. We look forward to providing this new service into Dublin.
Bahrain is an important commercial centre and a well established air transport hub of the Middle East and West Asia.
It provides a fast, convenient and stress-free gateway into the Gulf Co-operation Countries (GCC), which include the Kingdom of Bahrain, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar and the Sultanate of Oman, one of the world`s fastest growing holiday destinations.
It also provides convenient onward connections to the Far East and Australia.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
