MANAMA: Resumption of flights to Athens will help Gulf Air to bolster its business while connecting the Middle East with Europe’s most sought tourist destination, according to a top official at the airline.
“Despite the suspension of Athens flight, Gulf Air continue to operate as an offline destination which yielded strong business and virtually encouraged the carrier to resume the flights,” Gulf Air’s acting Chief Executive Officer, Maher Salman Al Musallam, an interview told The24X7News (www.twentyfoursevennews.com).
Earlier, Gulf Air, the national carrier of the Kingdom of Bahrain, said that it would be resuming its flights to the Greek capital, Athens, with 4 weekly flights to Athens International Airport starting on the 16th of June.
“Gulf Air’s decision to resume flights to Athens reinforces the airline’s strategy of strengthening its network with key global destinations and providing strategic business and tourism links,” Al Musallam, said.
Imagine, he said, there are over 20million tourists a year visiting historic country of Greece which offers huge opportunity to the airline operators to tap into.
Explaining some of the strategic plans, Al Musallam said that the airline was keen on bolstering its network in Pakistan and India as well as in the Far East.
“We are seeing unique business and tourism opportunities in Greece alongside positive signs of the country’s economic recovery. Accordingly, and on the back of Gulf Air’s recent network expansion to key destinations such as Al Maktoum International at Dubai World Central (DWC) and Thiruvananthapuram in India, I am delighted to announce the return of our services to Athens,”
“Gulf Air’s service between Athens and Bahrain offers passengers more choice, nonstop convenience and onward connections via Bahrain across the GCC, MENA region and beyond, in-line with the airline’s strategy as one of Middle East’s largest network carriers. Flights to Athens will appeal to Bahrain and GCC residents as the Greek capital is popular with both business and leisure travellers. We expect Athens to be a successful addition to our network and look forward to a continuation of our strong ties with the Greek capital.”
Gulf Air’s four weekly flights will be operated by an Airbus A320-ER aircraft in a two-class configuration, featuring 14 Falcon Gold Class seats and 96 Economy Class seats. Designed specifically for the airline, and incorporating various elements of passengers’ feedback, the A320-ER is the only aircraft of its kind in the world featuring full flat-bed seats, as well as being equipped with the airline’s latest in-flight entertainment technology.
Passengers can book tickets online at www.gulfair.com, through Gulf Air’s 24 hour Worldwide Contact Centre on (+973) 17373737 or by visiting dedicated Gulf Air offices and approved travel agencies.
Gulf Air took the difficult decision to suspend services to Athens in March 2012 for commercial reasons following a prolonged period of challenging operating conditions.