The airline plans three flights a week to the capital of the Kurdistan Region following the recent commencement of flights to Baghdad and Najaf. Gulf Air said the service to Erbil International Airport will operate on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, using A320 aircraft.

Gulf Air’s decision to start a service to Erbil follows the successful services provided by other national operators, Austrian Airlines and Royal Jordanian, as well as many chartered flights that connect the Kurdistan Region with cities in the Middle East and Europe, from Istanbul and Dubai to Stockholm and Frankfurt.

Gulf Air’s Chief Executive, Mr Samer Majali, said in a recent statement, “As Iraq's third-largest city as well as the capital of the Kurdistan Autonomous Region and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), Erbil is an important commercial centre in Iraq. The Kurdistan Region has significant proven petroleum and gas reserves and over 35 companies from 20 countries have signed exploration and development contracts with the KRG.

Just like Bahrain, the KRG is nurturing a business-friendly environment and has started attracting businesses to the region, who are looking at its long-term potential. The KRG is also seeking to attract tourists investing heavily in its infrastructure to scale-up the capacity of its tourism sector.”

Gulf Air said it has planned its schedule to Erbil and other destinations in Iraq to compliment its extensive Middle East network as well as to provide excellent connections for key destinations on its route network in Asia and Europe.

(c) Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation. Date posted: 01-Sep-09

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