Gulf Air, the national carrier of the Kingdom of Bahrain, has announced twice weekly direct flights from Manchester to Bahrain, boosting the Kingdom’s connection to England starting next week.
Currently 28,000 people from across Manchester Airport’s vast catchment area travel indirectly to Bahrain, these are a mix of those visiting family and friends and businesses that trade in the Middle East. A further 2,000,000 people from across the North travel to a range of Gulf Air’s onward destinations that are not currently served by Manchester Airport, so the route will also be beneficial to those wanting to access places like Bangkok, Mumbai and Delhi to name a few.
Ian Costigan, Interim Managing Director at Manchester Airport, said: “It’s great news that Gulf Air is starting direct flights from Manchester Airport, and I am sure it will be incredibly well received by the thousands of people in our catchment area that travel there indirectly each year.
“The announcement of a third long-haul route coming to Manchester within the last month clearly shows the role we play in connecting the North to key global destinations. Not only do routes like these make travel easier, but they put the region on the international map for trade, economic and tourism opportunities, plus create a wealth of jobs in the process.
“I look forward to welcoming the team from Gulf Air to the airport and wish them every success with the route.”
The route will be served by a Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft with economy and business class cabins. Return economy flights start from £613 and business class from £3,159.
Gulf Air’s Acting Chief Executive Officer Captain Waleed AlAlawi said: “We are delighted to announce the launch of our Bahrain–Manchester direct route as part of the historic Bahraini–UK official and commercial relations. Manchester has been on our horizon for a while due to our customers’ demand; and as travel bounces back to normalcy, we knew it was the right time to launch it for our valued passengers. We are certain this new and exciting destination will further strengthen our network in the UK and Europe, and we look forward to serving our passengers to and from Manchester.”
Sheona Southern, Managing Director of Marketing Manchester, said: “We’re delighted to see this brand-new twice weekly flight from Bahrain to Manchester Airport being added to the route network. Routes old and new are rapidly returning at Manchester Airport, proving that the demand for international travel and tourism is back, and we look forward to offering a warm welcome to visitors from the GCC region who will be arriving with Gulf Air from 1 June.”
Gulf Air commenced operations in 1950, becoming one of the first commercial airlines established in the Middle East. The airline operates scheduled flights from its hub at Bahrain International Airport to cities in Europe, Middle East, Africa, Indian sub-continent and the Far East.
