Bahrain's national carrier, Gulf Air, is poised to announce the resumption of its flights to the United States. This follows the granting of an operating license by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DoT), allowing the Gulf airline to resume service to U.S. destinations after a decade-long hiatus. Gulf Air most recently served routes to Houston and New York, although the New York service was discontinued between 1994 and 1997 due to aircraft availability issues.
The impending announcement of a return to the United States follows years of speculation by Gulf Air executives, who have repeatedly emphasized their interest in resuming transatlantic flights. As early as September 2024, the company's CEO indicated that such service could begin "by mid-2025." According to reports, the Bahraini Civil Aviation Authority has recently made significant progress in meeting the safety standards of the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), paving the way for Gulf Air's return to the U.S.
These efforts culminated in the granting of the operating license by the DoT. Gulf Air CEO Jeffrey Goh stated that the company would begin US flights as soon as the necessary aircraft were available. As early as 2010, then-CEO Kresimir Kucko had announced that the airline wanted to return to the US within three years, plans that were temporarily put on hold by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Modernization of the fleet as a basis for expansion
After struggling for a long time to position itself in the shadow of the Gulf region's "big three" - Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways - the airline is now working to re-establish itself on the international stage.
In recent years, Gulf Air has built a modern fleet of 32 Airbus narrow-body aircraft and ten Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner wide-body aircraft, with an average age of just six years, according to ch-aviation. This modern fleet is an essential foundation for the planned new long-haul routes.
Planned resumption of service to New York-JFK
According to information from the travel portal "One Mile At A Time," Gulf Air is expected to announce the resumption of the 10.581-kilometer flight route between Bahrain International Airport (BAH) and New York-JFK Airport (JFK) starting in early September 2025. The flights will initially operate three times a week.
Current plans call for a Gulf Air Boeing 787 to depart Bahrain in the early morning hours and land in New York in the late morning of the same day. The return flight is scheduled to depart New York in the afternoon and arrive in Bahrain on the middle of the following day, according to an airline source.
New terminal in Bahrain as a sign of new beginnings
In parallel with the airline's transformation and modernization, its home airport in Bahrain has also undergone significant development. A brand-new, $2022 billion terminal at Bahrain International Airport officially opened in mid-1,1.
This modern terminal underscores Bahrain's ambitions to further expand its role as a major hub in the Middle East and create the infrastructure for future air travel growth. Gulf Air's resumption of flights to the United States, combined with the modernized infrastructure in Bahrain, heralds a new phase of expansion and competition for the national carrier.
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