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Gulf Air will land in New York in October, returning to the U.S. after nearly three decades.
The Bahrain-based carrier will offer thrice-weekly flights to New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) from Bahrain International Airport (BAH) on a Boeing 787-9 from Oct. 1, Gulf Air said July 15.
Gulf Air will initially operate from Terminal 1 at JFK before moving to the new Terminal One when it opens around June 2026.
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The airline last served the U.S. in 1997 with flights to JFK from both Zayed International Airport (AUH) and BAH, schedule data from aviation analytics firm Cirium shows.
Gulf Air CEO Jeffrey Goh hinted at a return to the U.S. at the Routes World conference last October. While he declined to say when or where, he indicated that the airline planned to begin flights after meeting all Federal Aviation Administration and Department of Homeland Security requirements.
The airline plans to grow to around 75 destinations by the end of the decade, Goh said at the time.
Gulf Air today serves 65 destinations, including seasonal markets, according to Cirium.
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In addition to the new route, Gulf Air unveiled Thursday an order for up to 18 additional Boeing 787s. The deal, split between 12 firm orders and six options, would increase the airline’s long-haul fleet to as many as 30 787s when deliveries are complete.
Gulf Air operates 10 787-9s with, prior to the latest order, two aircraft on order, Boeing Orders and Deliveries data shows.
Gulf Air is not a member of one of the three big airline alliances — Oneworld, SkyTeam and Star Alliance — and has few ties with U.S. carriers. They include a limited codeshare agreement with American Airlines that allows it to place its “GF” code on select American-operated flights to the U.S. However, the relationship does not apply to American frequent flyers traveling on Gulf Air, according to American’s website.
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