Gulf Air begins services to Kabul

At the gate ceremony held at Bahrain International Airport, Gulf Air Chief Executive Officer Mr. Samer Majali, Deputy CEO Capt. Maher Al Musallam, senior officials from Bahrain Civil Aviation Authority, Bahrain Airport Company and Gulf Air executives greeted passengers onboard the first flight.  
 
Addressing the media, VIP gathering and passengers in Bahrain, Mr. Majali said, “We are pleased to see our first service to Afghanistan, which we announced this March, taking off today as planned following the completion of extensive safety and security audits. This reinforces the airline’s leadership position once again as we become the first ‘full-service’ scheduled commercial carrier in the Middle East to connect to Afghanistan.”
 
“The launching of our service to Kabul further demonstrates our strategy to connect the Kingdom of Bahrain with niche and under-served markets in the region that have high growth potential.

“The Islamic Republic of Afghanistan has seen some remarkable growth recently; while the Afghanistan government is committed to the development of a dynamic, competitive private sector, several international organisations and countries have pledged their support to work in partnership with local businesses to revitalize the economy.
 
“By connecting Kabul with Bahrain we are opening a huge commercial opportunity for Afghanistan’s well known traditional industries such as carpets and gems, and the industrial sectors namely construction and engineering, IT/telecommunications, transportation, and of course mining, which are poised for take-off.”

“With Bahrain’s ‘business friendly’ economic policies and its strategic location at the door-step of Saudi Arabia offering a multi-million dollar business market, I can assure the trade and business community of Afghanistan that there is  a huge market waiting for you.  As the national carrier of the Kingdom of Bahrain operating the largest network in the Middle East, we are well positioned to connect you to these markets.”

Above: Gulf Air CEO Samer Majali (second from left), Deputy CEO Capt. Maher Al Musallam (third from left), Undersecretary for Bahrain Civil Aviation Affairs Captain Abdulrahman Al Gaoud (fourth from left) are seen cutting the ceremonial ribbon commencing the inaugural flight to Kabul at the Bahrain International Airport. Also seen in the picture are Bahrain Airport Company CEO Gordon Dewar (left to Mr. Majali), with senior management officials from Gulf Air, Bahrain Civil Aviation Affairs and Bahrain Airport Company.

The inaugural flight carrying Gulf Air Deputy CEO Capt. Maher Al Musallam, media representatives and passengers, touched down at Kabul International Airport at 14:50 hours, where it was received by His Excellency Dr. Daoud Ali Najafi, Minister of Transport & Civil Aviation, His Excellency Captain Sayed Mehdi Sayedi, Deputy Transportation and Civil Aviation Minister, His Excellency Dr. Mohammadullah Batash, Deputy Minister of Planning and Policy, Dr. Mohammad Yaqub Rassuli, President of Kabul International Airport, and his colleagues, senior civil aviation and government authorities and the media.

Speaking at the Kabul International Airport reception, Capt. Musallam said, “We are glad to have connected Afghanistan with Bahrain and beyond.”

“Our Kabul service will be a great news not only for the business community in Afghanistan but also for the vast Afghan community living and working in the GCC, the Levant region, Europe, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, who will find Gulf Air’s seamless and convenient flights connecting them to their home country.”

“At the same time, we also foresee a huge opportunity for Bahrain’s private sector businesses in Afghanistan, as there are several multi-million development projects going on in Afghanistan. We are confident that our service to Kabul will be as successful as our recently launched routes.”

“I would like to thank His Excellency Dr. Daoud Ali Najafi, Minister of Transport & Civil Aviation, Dr. Mohammad Yaqub Rassuli, President of Kabul International Airport and his colleagues, senior civil aviation and government authorities for their support and assistance in getting the necessary licences and clearances and making this happen on schedule” Capt. Musallam concluded.

With four flights per week, Kabul will be served by an Airbus A320 aircraft offering 16 Falcon Gold seats and 120 Economy class seats.