Gulf Air, the national carrier of the Kingdom of Bahrain, officially launched regular, commercial flights on the Bahrain-Tel Aviv route.
The carrier’s inaugural flight, GF972, took off from Bahrain International Airport and landed at Ben Gurion Airport, carrying, among others, senior executives and other officials.
Ceremonies were held at both airports to mark the launch of this historic route. Before taking off from Bahrain International Airport, airport staff celebrated the debut flight at the gate. Likewise, a traditional water salute was held upon arrival at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv.
Present at the ceremony were the Director of Ben Gurion Airport, Shmuel Zakai; Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Idan Roll; Tourism Ministry Director-General, Amir Halevi; Founder and Managing Director of Tal Aviation, Gideon Thaler, Gulf Air representative in Israel; and others.
Speaking at the reception held in Ben Gurion Airport, acting CEO of Gulf Air, Captain Waleed Al Alawi, said: “Today we are making history by connecting the Kingdom of Bahrain and the State of Israel on regular commercial flights. We invite our friends in Israel to fly with Gulf Air, visit Bahrain and connect with destinations beyond Bahrain on our extended network. The bi-weekly flights are only the beginning, and we will periodically evaluate the commercial performance to upgrade the frequency as much as possible and as required.”
Al Alawi added special thanks: “I thank all the authorities here in Israel for assisting in this maiden flight as much as possible and for all the assistance given to us to celebrate this special flight.”
This inaugural flight starts a twice-weekly Gulf Air service between the two countries, operated by the airline’s newest Airbus fleet.
To mark the launch of this historic route, the company announced a limited-time offer, with special prices starting at $199 to Bahrain or $399 to destinations in Asia, such as Bangkok, Colombo, and the Maldives.
