BAHRAIN’S national carrier Gulf Air has announced it is on target with its fleet renewal programme following the delivery of the eighth A320-200.
The arrival of the new aircraft marked the final delivery in the first phase of the airline’s order for 15 A320-200s and brings the number of new aircraft in Gulf Air’s fleet in the last 10 months to 10; eight A320-200s and two E170AR regional jets, reducing the average age of the fleet from 12 to eight years.
The new aircraft have replaced five older narrow-body planes phased out in the last five months due to increasing maintenance costs and low fuel efficiency.
Gulf Air CEO Samer Majali said: “We are delighted to be on-track with our aircraft re-fleeting programme. A core proposition of our new strategy is to increase our regional strength and position. In order to achieve this we need to ensure that our aircraft are optimised for the routes served. Narrow-body aircraft form the backbone of our regional network as we continue to identify niche markets and serve them. As such it is important that we invest in the most efficient and reliable aircraft with the highest levels of comfort for our customers.”