Gulf Air goes back to basics
This is what one of the online magazines says and this is the only way out. It'll be painful for Bahrainis and Expats, but there is no other way.
The Company has to get lean, efficient and professional. Re-training the good performers staying and bringing in fresh-blood, people keen to provide the best service, will create a much better customer service. Pilots can also provide a good customer service. This is deafening for many, but pilots are part of the team even with a bullet-proof door up front.
Customer service has to improve. You cannot have an upset passenger boarding a flight because the ground services failed. Ground services include sales for this exercise.
Downsize to 20 younger aircraft. 10 short/medium-haul and another 10 medium/long haul. You can use a single aisle aircraft on medium-haul where thin traffic exists. Stay with 1 manufacturer and with twins. Airbus seems a good choice for the time being. Lease/sell the others. Perhaps leasing will keep some jobs until such a time the Company sells the aircraft for good. And there is maintenance to weigh. Out-sourcing is cheaper sometimes, but service quality isn't the best.
GF has to look at the yield. Where do I make money from? Try flying direct to the destinations the Expats in Bahrain come from. Get the cargo of imported food stuffs direct from those destinations Expats use. Don't let this traffic go to QR/EK/EY and the LCCs. They are powerful and they provide LCC prices with a 1 or 2 stops. GF has to make it non-stop and still profitable. Improve in-flight sales with competitive prices with goods passengers like to buy. Don't have expensive watches on a Karachi flight. Many passengers miss the duty-free shopping because they were late completing their departure procedures.
Through-traffic is a bonus, but again QR/EK/EY can do it cheaper right now, better and they have the money to do it.