Could anyone think of a national airline that make profit during this difficult time? There might be fews, but hardly anyone is making profit.
So turning around Gulf Air into a profitable airline will be difficult. Forget profit! The most important thing is turning it into more efficient airline.
As a national/flag carrier of the Kingdom of Bahrain, some said Gulf Air has been a "burden to the economy". Something that many totally disagree.
A national flag carrier such as Gulf Air should continue to aid the country's economy.
Realignment of its business strategy without considering the fact that this national airline exists to support the country's economy is a bad move. Let's look closely as to what Bahrain has to offer, most would say nothing. How many tourists do you think will visit Bahrain to see the Tree of Life? May be hundred thousands tourists during F1 week and that is it.
How about shopping? How many put Bahrain on their shopping destination? Most would go to Dubai. Bahrain as the financial & commercial center of the Middle East? It's going to take a lot more than "the most free economy of the Middle East" to overtake Dubai. So, what is there for the Kingdom of Bahrain? If the ruler of this country want Bahrain to be a small town with small ambition, then Gulf Air would most likely be the same. But, according to Vision Bahrain 2030 ( we are talking 20 more years!), future of Bahrain looks promising. Bahrain, a small country with a big ambition. Should Gulf Air be prepared to be the same?
Corruption, fraud, and mismanagement are the talk of the town when people talk about Gulf Air. Why regional jet when the airline is already operating Airbus320 family? If transparency exists, this regional jets project should be questioned and closely scrutinized.