Gulf Air Files US DOT Application For US Flight Operations On Its Own Aircraft

Gulf Air has filed a request with the United States Department of Transportation ( DOT) to allow the airline to operate direct flights between Bahrain and the US using its own aircraft.

Currently, Gulf Air is permitted to market to the US either codeshare flights or itineraries operated on a wet lease basis.

On December 4, Gulf Air applied for an exemption and an amendment of its foreign air carrier permit, requesting the DOT to approve the carrier’s operations to the US with its own aircraft, presumably the Boeing 787-9.

The aircraft type is the only long-haul-capable jet in its fleet, with the Bahraini flag carrier having ten 787-9s in its fleet, three of which are currently stored, according to ch-aviation data.

Other aircraft in the airline’s fleet include eight Airbus A320ceo, six A320neo, four A321ceo, and 14 A321neo, five of which are A321LRs.

“Specifically, Gulf Air requests that the Department remove the condition limiting Gulf Air’s operations to the U.S. to codeshare service or wetlease flights operated by a duly authorized and properly supervised U.S. or foreign air carrier and allow Gulf Air to operate using its own aircraft and crews.”

Planning flights to the US

When Jeffrey Goh, the chief executive officer (CEO) of Gulf Air, spoke during the Routes World event in Bahrain in October, the executive pointed out that the airline has been exploring flights to the US, yet there have been numerous hurdles.

Goh added that flights will happen when the time is right, possibly hinting that Gulf Air would return to the US in 2025. In the 1990s, the Bahraini carrier flew between Bahrain and New York John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) via either Bahrain International Airport (BAH), Abu Dhabi Zayed International Airport (AUH), or Doha International Airport (DIA, Qatar’s old airport, which was replaced by Hamad International Airport (DOH) in 2014).

However, because Gulf Air used an Airbus A340-300 to fly the route, it had to stop at Larnaca International Airport (LCA) to refuel while flying to the US, further complicating the itinerary and its potential to generate a profit.

As Simple Flying’s James Pearson pointed out, the point-to-point market between Bahrain and New York-JFK was tiny since only around 7,000 passengers traveled on the route year-to-date (YTD) to July.

At the same time, Gulf Air’s application did not include the “capital contribution from the Government of Bahrain” or its financial and traffic results, since both were submitted “under seal with a motion for confidential treatment.”

Almost a decade ago, the big three US carriers, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and United Airlines, alleged that Emirates, Etihad Airways, and Qatar Airways had received illegal subsidies, allowing them to offer lower prices to consumers.

The dispute was settled in 2018, with the trio of Gulf carriers agreeing to publish their financial reports under Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP).

American Airlines codeshare

While Gulf Air does not operate direct flights to the US, it has an extensive codeshare agreement with American Airlines, which offers its passengers a one-stop or a two-stop option via Frankfurt Airport (FRA), London Heathrow Airport (LHR), or Paris Charles De Gaulle Airport (CDG).

The codeshare covers 13 destinations in the US, including Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), New York-JFK, and others. In addition, Gulf Air’s codeshare agreement with Etihad Airways allows customers to fly from Bahrain to Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) via Abu Dhabi.

On November 14, the Federal Aviation Administration ( FAA) announced that Bahrain achieved its first International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA) with a Category 1 rating.

This affirmed that Bahrain Civil Aviation Affairs (CAA) complies with the International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) safety standards. As a result, the country’s airlines can now provide direct services to the US or enter into codeshare agreements with US-based carriers without limitations.