Guest Ray Darr Posted June 13, 2003 Share Posted June 13, 2003 Gulf Air update: For those wondering what some of the recent grumblings are about at Gulf Air, a division was recently created involving the 767 fleet, and it is now based in Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates (about 45 minutes South-East from Bahrain). The "Gulf Traveller" all-economy division of Gulf Air has had start-up logistical problems on the crew end - pax seem content, though. And for the most part crewing issues are getting resolved. In fact, many crew are perfectly content. Of course, things don't always go as planned... Gulf Air has been based in Bahrain for 53+ years, and moving the entire 767 division to Abu Dhabi for this Gulf Traveller has had challenges to say the least. Of course any move brings challenges, many headaches and legit gripes for people that lived in Bahrain and were settled in. Just remember that this move involved the 767 fleet only, though, and they (the 767 group) are just part of the big picture at Gulf Air. Not to downplay any part of the problems this divisional start-up has had at all, but that’s only part of what is going on at Gulf Air. Gulf Air is growing. New aircraft arriving this summer include more A-320's, 330's and 340's. Talk of regional-jets soon too. Destination and frequency expansion plans mean doubling of the fleet to about 60 aircraft, including A-340-500's. All governments that own GF (Bahrain, Abu Dhabi and Oman) have all pledged their continued support for the carrier, and the management team is continuing to turn things around to show a profit soon, they say. Bahrain lifestyle is pleasant and laid-back, albeit hotter than hell May to Sept, but Bahrain feels safe. And it's an ideal location for heading off anywhere in the 60+ destinations GF flies to see what else is in the world. It's a big hop back to "Home" (18 to 20 hours BAH to YYZ or YVR, depending on connections) but that's only once or twice a year. Side-trips to Europe, Africa or Asia are easy and quick to arrange on days off. Hiring slowed with SARS and Gulf War II but is restarting soon. YES, there are times you want to scream "WHAT the HECK?! THAT just doesn't seem to make SENSE!!" with some life's local differences and idiosyncrasies, but that's part of the adventures we all face, isn't it? In the end, it's really not a bad place at all to call home. Take a look at the company website for more info. www.gulfairco.com Good luck to everyone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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