Gulf Air aims to expand China operations

After the successful debut of its service to Shanghai, Gulf Air, the national airline of the Kingdom of Bahrain, is aiming to expand operations to more destinations in China, one of world’s fastest developing economies.

"With this first entry into China, we hope to make Gulf Air the national carrier of trade and investment between ‘Business Friendly Bahrain’ and emerging world superpower China," Gulf Air Chief Executive Officer Mr. Björn Näf told more than a thousand delegates, consisting mostly of world's leading luxury travel leaders.

Speaking at the Asia Luxury Travel Market (ALTM) dinner held in Shanghai, Mr. Näf was upbeat about the potential opportunities for trade and investment between the two countries, facilitated by the national carrier.

"As the two countries celebrate nearly two decades of diplomatic relations between Bahrain and the People’s Republic of China, Gulf Air is seeking to play an important part in further strengthening the ties between the two countries," he said thanking the Chinese authorities for their cooperation in making the Shanghai connection a reality.

Gulf Air has tied up as key sponsor of the ALTM, Shanghai, which is the ideal platform that delivers bespoke business experience for the luxury travel specialist targeting the Asia Pacific market.

Mr. Näf highlighted Gulf Air's biggest network advantage in the Middle East, which facilitates excellent two-way connectivity to major destinations in the region and further into African and European markets. He also indicated that Gulf Air is looking at expanding its operations to other cities in China so that travellers from China will be able to take advantage of this connectivity.

"Whether you want to go to London, Cairo, Khartoum, Beirut, Jordan or Dubai, Gulf Air offers you the best connection through it’s Bahrain Hub, which is the best transit hub in the region offering seamless connectivity and quickest transfers," Mr. Näf .

He also informed the audience about the strong investment and business potential in Bahrain, which is the leading financial centre in the Middle East and an emerging leisure and sporting destination in the region.