GF to Dublin

[near enuf is good enuf]

GF will be operating 3/4 flts a week BAH - DUB from 1st December, yahooo - direct access to good Guinness!

[busflyer]

Where did you get this info from?

Any news on Jo'burg?

[akerosid]

Aren't these the Winter charters they've been offering for the past two years or so? Or is it actually a new scheduled route. Great if it is, although I would have preferred EK.

Isn\'t this the repeat of the winter charters they had last year?

I know that they had an ad for new managers for Dublin and SA, but I wonder if they actually to intend to operate a scheduled service.

I would have preferred to see EK, but obviously they had more important routes like Accra to serve; their loss.

[near enuf is good enuf]

From the horses mouth!
Will be announced next week in the usual, no doubt, blaze of publicity :yuk:
This is too small an island to keep secrets!

[FlyingV]

Announced today. 3 weekly from December. Well done near enuf :)

http://www.rte.ie/business/2005/0715/gulfair.html

[MarkD]

GF are now operating daily non-stop A340s to SYD so DUB now has a one-stop to SYD which I don't think it had before?

[JIPPO]

New service starts 02 December 05

BAH/DUB GF23 WE.FR.SU DEP 0115 ARR 0645
DUB/BAH GF24 WE.FR.SU DEP 0850 ARR 1905

Airbus A330-200

Offers good connections ... nice to see a new non stop service from Dublin .. offering quicker and easlier worldwide connections to the Gulf, Asia and Australia!

JIPPO

[akerosid]

I think so, Mark, although GF currently flies via SIN. Still, BAH is a hell of a lot nicer a place to connect than LHR. There can't be anything more grim than getting into LHR at 5.30am, standing in the freezing cold/damp etc, waiting for a bus over to T1 and going through the whole nonsense of connecting at LHR. Anything is an improvement and I'm sure this route will be very popular.

BA/QF have the largest share of the Irish/Aus market and that has been a big obstacle to other airlines coming in. Let's hope GF is the first, although the market isn't going to support too many. They took a risk on Dublin - the first Middle Eastern airline to do so - and I hope it pays off for them.

[apaddyinuk]

Well its about bloody time. Im still surprised that it was GF and not EK that did it first. Considering the massive number of irish expats in the middle east I think GF have found themselves a luctrative little niche without even mentioning the benefits of its connections to the far east which have created a wonderful alternative to LHR. Also am I right in thinking that GF will be the only airline into DUB with a First Class product???
The ad on the GF website is pretty impressive!!

[MarkD]

akerosid

whoops - quite right. Misread a GF article re CAI-SYD to imply it was nonstop ex BAH when it is still via SIN.

Any word on likely equipment? 5530km is too far for 320s so 332 or their all Y 763ER?

[akerosid]

It'll be a three class A330-200 (didn't know GF still offered First Class, but the Irish Times says it and presumably was briefed by GF itself).

Cop a load of this:

http://www.jetphotos.net/viewphoto.php?id=507945

The IT also says that Aer Rianta/DAA has been in talks with GF over this for more than a decade and is currently in talks with up to 20 other airlines.

Interestingly, the size of the market (Asia generally, not just Australia) is put at about 190,000, based on a figure of 16,000 inbound pax from these areas in March. Presumably, the monthly figures will be even higher for Summer and of course, once a direct service is introduced, that should help further. Remember that one of the key benefits is that we will now have a respected airline with an incentive to market Ireland throughout Asia, the Middle East and many other markets.

Message to EI: if you want to fly to Asia, beef up the service product NOW!

[mutt]

I'm disappointed to see that the GF reservation system doesnt have the Dublin flights, they are offering a code share via LHR.

Not sure what market they were seeking, but the connections to Sydney arent very good!

I'm glad to see them enter the Irish market even if it means the end to EI's expansion to Asia :):)


Mutt.

[FlyCorkInternational]

Not sure why u had problem mutt - but GF res system is showing flights and are bookable. was able to get return fare of 850 US$

[mutt]

Checked www.gulfairco.com for flights Dublin-Sydney for Jan/Feb/Mar/Apr/May/Jun

In all cases they are offering

DepartsDublin (DUB) May 247:00 ArrivesLondon (LHR) May 248:30
( connecting to )

DepartsLondon (LHR) May 2410:00 ArrivesBahrain (BAH) May 2418:45
( connecting to )

DepartsBahrain (BAH) May 2420:00 ArrivesSydney (SYD) May 25 (Next day) 20:15

Mutt

[apaddyinuk]

My only problem is the flight timings. Gulf Air offer a service standard which although common in the far east and asia, has barely been seen here in about 10 years or so! And with the present state of Dublin Airport, they could not have picked a busier time for their flight to be turned around in. The experience to the customer is going to be a nightmare and I cant wait to hear the reaction of their Arabic First Class customers when they realise that there is no fast track through security!!!!

[Bearcat]

There's another route aer lingus have missed the boat on......when will they ever ever get up off their ar*es and start competing. The am. of irish travelling to the gulf and onwards is huge and will be bigger with GF adding direct routes. Well done GF.