Gulf Air launches additional flights to Istanbul and Larnaca

As part of its new summer schedule Gulf Air, the national carrier of the Kingdom of Bahrain, has launched additional flights to Istanbul and Larnaca with 7 weekly flights to both cities, in order to meet growing passenger numbers in light of the upcoming holiday season.  

Gulf Air’s Acting Chief Commercial Officer, Mr. Ahmed Janahi commented on the frequency increase: “As the holidays approach, we are pleased to offer our customers increased flexibility and choice in booking their summer and Eid vacations. Istanbul and Larnaca are destinations of both year-long and seasonal popularity to our passengers and we have consistently seen strong two-way traffic between these historic cities and Bahrain and the greater region. Reinforcing the airline’s business strategy of strengthening our core network and enhancing products and services, we believe our 2014 summer schedule will improve our passengers’ travel experience.”

Gulf Air flights to Istanbul Ataturk Airport and Larnaca International Airport are operated by an Airbus A320-ER aircraft in a two-class configuration, featuring 14 Falcon Gold Class seats and 96 Economy Class seats. Designed specifically for Gulf Air, and incorporating various elements of passengers’ feedback, the A320-ER is the only aircraft of its kind in the world with full flat-bed seats, as well as being equipped with the airline’s latest in-flight entertainment technology offering hundreds of channels of entertainment.

 

Gulf Air holds a leadership position in the Middle East by operating one of the largest regional networks, with multiple daily flights to more than 10 regional cities. The national carrier also provides excellent connectivity for passengers travelling from Turkey and Cyprus to the Middle East, Indian Subcontinent and Asia catering to travellers that wish to visit the region on holiday or for business.

Flights to Larnaca have been increased from 5 weekly flights to daily flights, adding an additional frequency on Mondays and Fridays departing Bahrain at 09:35. Flights to Istanbul have been increased from 5 to 7 weekly flights, with an added frequency on Wednesday and Saturday, departing Bahrain at 20:55.

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Qatar Airways launches flights to Larnaca

Qatar Airways carried out its first flight to Larnaca International Airport, becoming the 13th destination of the airline. The first flight was dedicated to the late Tasos Mitsopoulos, who had served as Communications and Works Minister and played a pivotal role in clinching the agreement with Qatar Airlines. 

The carrier will be flying four times a week to Larnaca.  Flights will be operated by an Airbus A320 on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays, all departing from Larnaca at 2.10 pm and from Doha at 8.10 am. The first flight was welcomed with a water arch salute from the Fire Service. During a special ceremony, Chief Commercial Officer of Qatar Airways Marwan Koleilat said "Cyprus is a fantastic destination and Qatar Airways is very happy to fly to Larnaca”.

He expressed hope the new route will become popular among business people and tourists, broadening bilateral relations and opening new prospects for mutual benefits.

"We dedicate this first flight to Tasos Mitsopoulos who with hard work and persistent efforts made this strategic cooperation possible”, he added.

Chief Executive Officer of Hermes Airports, Wes Porter said the arrival of the Qatar Airways flight is a significant milestone not only for Hermes Airports but also for the Republic of Cyprus. This new route, he added, will promote and support tourist development between Cyprus and Qatar and improve Cyprus` connectivity with Asia. 

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Etihad increases presence in Mediterranean with holiday season flights

Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, has announced it will boost frequency and capacity to Athens and Larnaca, adding depth to its expanding network, while enhancing connectivity over its Abu Dhabi hub.

Peter Baumgartner, Etihad Airways chief commercial officer, said: “These increases in frequency and capacity demonstrate our commitment to build a global, connected network.

“In the case of Athens, our new flights will offer guests the choice of two different departure times to and from Abu Dhabi, and in the case of Larnaca, the additional flights will provide more choice and flexibility, as well as better connectivity over Abu Dhabi.

“The additional services will also support the growth of business and leisure traffic over Abu Dhabi, and offer travellers greater choice of destinations across the Gulf region, Indian Sub-continent, Asia and Australia.

“It also means that by July 2014, nearly 90 per cent of Etihad Airways’ global passenger network will be served by a daily flight.”

From July 2nd 2014, Etihad Airways will increase frequency on the Abu Dhabi-Athens route from seven to ten flights per week with the introduction of three new flights, which will provide passengers travelling to and from Athens with more choice and greater flexibility.

The new flights will also provide additional connecting opportunities with codeshare partner Aegean Airlines, which has separately announced that it will be commencing a direct service between Athens and Abu Dhabi from May 28th 2014. Beyond Athens, Etihad Airways places its EY flight code on Aegean-operated flights to 16 destinations in Greece including popular islands such as Crete, Rhodes and Santorini, and to Larnaca, Madrid and Sofia in Europe. 

Aegean Airlines places its A3 flight code on Etihad Airways beyond Abu Dhabi to Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Bahrain, Kuwait and Johannesburg. The new flights will enable Etihad Airways to place its flight code on Aegean-operated flights beyond Athens to Barcelona, subject to regulatory approval. In addition, between June 1st and September 30th, Etihad Airways’ daily EY090/EY091 flights will be upgraded from the current 174-seat Airbus A321 operation to a 254-seat Airbus A330-200 aircraft.

Flying 18 guests in the award-winning Pearl Business Class and 236 guests in Coral Economy Class, the larger aircraft is being deployed on the route to meet the expected increase in summer traffic. Etihad Airways will also increase its base frequency on the Abu Dhabi-Larnaca route from three to five flights per week. Etihad will also operate Larnaca as a daily service during the peak summer period from July 1st to September 30th 2014. All services to and from Larnaca will be operated by a two-class Airbus A320 aircraft configured to carry 16 guests in Pearl Business Class and 120 in Coral Economy Class.

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