Gulf Air Is Ready To Launch Flights From Bahrain to JFK

Gulf Air, the flag carrier of the Kingdom of Bahrain, is about to launch nonstop flights from the Bahraini capital, Manama (BAH), to New York-JFK.

The new service will be the first direct flight from Bahrain to the U.S. in almost 30 years. It also signals Gulf Air’s ambition to recoup at least some of the clout it had when it was the dominant airline in the Gulf region, before the rise of Emirates, Etihad, and Qatar Airways.  

Let’s look at what we know about the upcoming return of Gulf Air to the Americas.

JFK Already Has Signs Made for Gulf Air

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which runs the city’s airports, has already added Gulf Air to the list of airlines serving the airport that appears on the JFK AirTrain. Gulf Air’s name, although written as the nonexistent “Gulf Airlines,” is listed on the latest signs on the AirTrain directing passengers to the appropriate terminal for their airline. 

The sign still lists the Gulf Air terminal as “to be determined,” but the implication is clear: Gulf Air is arriving at New York (JFK) soon.  

Flights to the U.S. aren’t bookable on the Gulf Air site yet, and when UP called the airline’s customer service to book, a staffer said that they didn’t have information on when tickets would be ready for sale but added that it will be “hopefully soon.” 

The legal conditions for the airline opening the JFK route are all there. 

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) issued Gulf Air a foreign air carrier permit on January 30, meaning the airline now has the right to fly to any point in the U.S. using its aircraft. (Up to now, Gulf Air was only allowed to codeshare with U.S. airlines, adding its GF code to their flights.)    

Bahrain also has a Category 1 rating from the Federal Aviation Administration since last year. The rating evaluates safety and security conditions in a foreign country, and having a Category 1 is an essential prerequisite to starting air service to the U.S.   

Gulf Air CEO Jeffrey Goh said in October last year, “fingers crossed, we’ll be able to start next year, but the regulatory environment is difficult.” That was before the U.S. government granted Gulf Air permission to fly into the country, so the issue that Goh referred to has now been solved. 

We have asked the Port Authority, Gulf Air, and the Bahraini Embassy in the U.S. to confirm that the flight will begin soon, but haven’t heard back at the time of publication. We will update our story when we do.

A Good Business Class, but Engine Trouble

The real issue with starting the JFK flight might be the availability of airplanes. 

According to fleet-tracking site Planespotters, Gulf Air has 10 Boeing 787-9s, the only planes in its fleet with the range to travel across the Atlantic nonstop. Only 9 of the twin-aisle jets are currently available, though, with 1 parked since October 2024. 

The reason for such a long grounding is a well-known maintenance problem with the Rolls-Royce engines that power Gulf Air’s 787s. Spare parts are difficult to find due to a worldwide shortage, and that’s forcing airlines to keep some 787s parked as they wait for parts. (Carriers that chose General Electric engines for their 787s, like American and United, don’t have that problem.) CEO Goh has already complained that the issue is affecting his airline’s ability to expand. 

With every 787 in the fleet already assigned to other routes, Gulf Air may not be able to start the JFK service until the grounded jet returns to flight. 

When it does begin, passengers can look forward to another top business class product.

For points and miles travelers, a very interesting aspect of the new flight will be the ability to earn and spend Air Canada Aeroplan points on Gulf Air, thanks to a recent Air Canada / Gulf Air partnership. Etihad Guest members can also earn points on Gulf Air.

Gulf Air Versus the Gulf Giants

Gulf Air used to operate twice-weekly flights from Bahrain to New York from 1994 to 1997, using an Airbus A340-300. That flight eventually became a casualty of Gulf Air’s diminished status as its regional rivals expanded. 

In the mid-1990s, today’s Big 3 Middle East carriers — Emirates, Etihad, and Qatar Airways — were still small players that did not yet fly to the U.S., or didn’t even exist, in the case of Etihad. The largest airline in the Gulf region was Gulf Air itself, which also served Abu Dhabi (AUH) in the United Arab Emirates and Doha (DOH) in Qatar from New York, both once a week. Some of those flights also continued to Muscat (MCT) in Oman. 

Gulf Air’s dominance over routes from hubs in the region ended as those 3 competitors grew larger. The airline discontinued the JFK route and stopped operating long-haul services from Gulf airports except its Bahrain base. 

Gulf Air does not publish financial results regularly and is fully owned by the government of Bahrain through the Mumtalakat sovereign wealth fund. We know it loses money; Goh wants it to become profitable in 2026. A Bahraini news report from earlier this year, citing a government minister, said that the airline’s operating profit rose 53% in 2024 compared to the previous year. Still, we do not know the amount of that profit. We can assume that high costs offset the operating income enough to cause a net loss for the year. 

Final Thoughts

Gulf Air is a relatively tiny player in its region, where it’s dwarfed by the likes of Emirates, which is almost 8 times bigger in terms of passengers carried. Still, the Bahrain-based airline is about to reopen its flagship route to New York, where it will compete not only with Emirates but also with Etihad and Qatar Airways.

Its route structure, built on connections via its hub in Manama to destinations in Asia, also looks like a smaller version of the hub-and-spoke operation of the Middle East giants. To succeed in such a competitive environment, Gulf Air may have to bet on excellent service and easy connections through its home airport.

For points and miles travelers, in any case, the arrival in New York of another airline bookable with Air Canada Aeroplan points — which are easy to obtain in the U.S. — is unquestionably good news.