Gulf Air, the national carrier of Bahrain, announced on Tuesday that it plans to move its entire operations for inbound and outbound flights to the new Bahrain International Airport terminal later this month.
The airline said the move from January 28 to the new airport terminal will open a “new chapter in the kingdom’s journey in aviation history” while supporting the vision for Bahrain to strengthen its position as a hub and facilitate the movement of millions of passengers.
The new airport terminal will feature a dedicated check-in area for both Falcon Gold and economy class passengers of Gulf Air as well as a new Falcon Gold lounge that is double in size and capacity compared to the previous one in the old airport.
The lounge will be operational around the clock with a capacity of over 400 passengers at any given time.
The new passenger terminal, which will boost the airport’s capacity to 14m passengers every year, spans approximately four times the footprint of the existing terminal.
Ahead of the move, Gulf Air’s acting CEO, Waleed AlAlawi, said: “It will be a big day for the kingdom of Bahrain’s aviation history and for Gulf Air. We started our operations back in 1950 in a small facility in Muharraq and soon we will see a world-class airport being officially opened to welcome the world to our beloved kingdom.
“The new airport is our new home and we are proud to have a bigger, more modern home to be Gulf Air’s hub.”
He added: “With our own check-in area and a brand new Falcon Gold lounge, we are now more equipped than ever to carry and serve more passengers and expand our operations. We welcome our passengers to fly with us through the new airport which I am sure will impress everyone with its design, facilities, capacity and welcoming feel.”
In November, Gulf Air introduced a new pricing concept of its air fares as it looks to rebound from the devastating impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the region’s aviation industry.
The airline said the move aims to make it easier and clearer to its passengers regarding what’s included in each price bracket. The new Boutique Fares come in three branded options for economy class and two branded options for Falcon Gold class.
With Light, Smart and Flex fare options introduced in economy class and Smart and Flex introduced for Falcon Gold class, all passengers can choose any price option, which comes with a set benefits including luggage, flexibility in changing or cancelling itineraries, earning Falconflyer miles, advanced seat selection, priority boarding and Falcon Gold lounge access.
Gulf Air said it has also revamped its internet booking engine and mobile app to accommodate the new fare changes to provide a “faster booking process for the customers”.
Source:https://www.arabianbusiness.com/travel-hospitality/457225-gulf-air-set-to-transfer-operations-to-new-bahrain-international-airport-terminal