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Bahrain’s aviation achieved a new milestone as the kingdom’s flag carrier Gulf Air made its first flight with a Bahrain registered aircraft.
Flight GF056, operated by Airbus A340 under the Bahraini registration A9C-LB, flew to Mumbai, India, on the maiden voyage under the command of Bahraini Gulf Air captain Nabeel Al Khayyer.
Bahrain's Finance Minister Shaikh Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Khalifa, Civil Aviation officials, Gulf Air board of directors and senior management officials were at the Bahrain International Airport tarmac to see the aircraft taking off.
“This is a milestone for the Kingdom of Bahrain and it also reflects the commitment of the whole country towards the flag carrier,” said Gulf Air Board chairman Mahmood Al Kooheji.
“After the successful implementation of the new network, Gulf Air adds Bahrain’s aircraft registration as another milestone in its flight plan to success.
“We want to thank everyone involved in the aircraft registration process, especially the Civil Aviation team, working under the guidance of Shaikh Ali bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, and headed by Captain Abdulrahman AlGaoud for their outstanding support and professionalism to make this happen,” he said.
“I also want to extend my sincere appreciation to Gulf Air employees for their hardwork, dedication and commitment to bring in a new era for our airline,” said Mr Al Kooheji, who also expressed gratitude to the Sultanate of Oman for making the start of this registration process, a smooth transition.
Gulf Air’s acting chief executive Björn Näf echoed similar remarks and signalled a positive direction for Gulf Air.
“Gulf Air is the most established carrier in the region and this milestone will see the beginning of more positive things to come,” said Mr Näf.
“We are thankful to the entire team, which has made this changeover happen in a record time," he said, adding that the re-registration process for the entire Gulf Air fleet will be completed by the end of the year.
