Gulf Air

[Xeque]

There's an interesting piece in todays Gulf Daily News (and probably in the other Bahrain papers).

www.gulf-daily-news.com (http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/)

Jimmy the Roo was talking about Abu Dhabi's pull out from the partnership and the plans to take account of that.

Essentially they are looking to making Gulf Air a two-hub (Bahrain and Doha) operation.

I have no idea what this might mean in terms of sheduling, route sharing, flight crew hours etc. It would be interesting to read what others think.

I like Gulf Air. I fly with them regularly and will do again next Tuesday LHR to BAH then on to BKK after a 2 day sojourn in Bahrain. I hope the Abu Dhabi pull out will not hurt them too much.

[jackbauer]

Gulf air is certainly not downsizing, in fact new aircraft orders are imminent and recruitment is continuing as it was before AUH decided to pull out. The title of your thread is irresponsible and your knowledge of the GF hubs is wrong. There is no base in Doha. Please get the facts straight before you post something which is potentially damaging to the airline. There is nothing in the article which suggests downsizing.

[yamaha]

Keep your hair on mate!

You don't need to be a genius to work out that Gulf Air cannot continue as before. Now that the original partners have all pretty much gone their own way Gulf Air will have to downsize.

How else can it survive?
Has there suddenly been a four fold increase in pax for the region?

Shame yes but thats life.

[vfenext]

There is absolutely no intention to downsize GF. JackB is right, more new routes and aircraft on the way. A new $35,000,000 training and sim center is almost finished So why don't you keep your hair on MATE and stop spouting on something you know nothing about.

[Dani]

Seems to be a pretty sensitive matter nowadays, asking questions about Gulf. Spelling the work "downsize" creates heavy barking. Isn't this a free forum to express your own opinion?

JB and VFE, you remind me of some sincere follower of religous sects, who do not accept even a bad thought of your own group.

Although I know nothing about the case I'm also pretty sure that GF will have a hard stand against the new "state airlines" in the region.

Dani

[jackbauer]

Although I know nothing about the case
That says it all really!

[sirwa69]

I don't understand why you think Gulf Air will have a hard time standing against the "new" state carriers in the region.

It has stood the test well against Emirates and Qatar and Etihad is still only a little sheik's toy.

Just because Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Qatar have decided to concentrate on their own airlines does not necessarily mean that pax will fly them. It's all about choice and at the moment GF are delivering one hell of a service :ok: :ok:

Remember GF are the old boys in the region and that brings with it a lot of maturity and knowledge. :8

On On

[Xeque]

My apologies - I misread Oman for Qatar in the original Gulf Daily News article which I append here. My mistake!

BEGINS>>>

TWO-HUB STRATEGY

MANAMA: A task force has been set up to streamline the six-month process of Abu Dhabi's withdrawal from Gulf Air.

With the governments of Oman and Bahrain reiterating their commitment to the continuity and ongoing development of the airline, the task force will oversee some key actions to help ensure the most appropriate size and shape of Gulf Air in the future, said Gulf Air president and chief executive James Hogan.

Over the next 90 days, the team will deliver an enhanced strategic plan having fully reviewed the company's organisational structure and route network.

"As we complete the smooth withdrawal of Abu Dhabi from its position as a shareholder, we are going to focus far more on a two-hub strategy - in Bahrain and in Muscat," said Mr Hogan.

"As a result, we must look at every element of our business to establish whether we have the right systems, the right structures and the right focus to meet this two-hub strategy.

"When Abu Dhabi's decision was originally announced, it was stated that the core approach to business and the core business strategy would remain absolutely the same and this remains true.

"We will continue to operate under a strict commercial mandate, basing every decision on commercial grounds.

"We will continue to develop the award-winning services that define us as a leading boutique brand, with the best regional and Middle East network and both our leading brands. It is very much business as usual."

He added that there are some areas in which Gulf Air will now have an opportunity to embrace "positive change".

"A two-hub strategy gives us the opportunity to review our network and bring in even greater business synergies in route planning," said Mr Hogan.

"It also gives us the opportunity to review our business operations and our cost base to ensure the long-term future prosperity of the airline."

At the end of the 90 days the new strategic direction will be submitted to the board for review, at which time a further announcement will be made.

Project Falcon was a recovery plan for Gulf Air which aimed to get its business back into sustainable commercial shape.

Since then, Gulf Air says it has come under tremendous pressure as a result of fuel price rises.

"Every $1 increase in the price of fuel is costing Gulf Air more than $6 million a year and we have seen many price surges this year," said Gulf Air vice-president of finance Ahmed Al Hammadi.

"We are not alone in facing pressure from fuel prices.

"IATA, the airline industry association, earlier this month announced it estimated total airline losses this year would reach more than $7 billion as a result of the fuel price rises.

"We have applied fuel surcharges where the competitive environment has allowed us to do so - but on many routes, we have been unable to impose them. "That means the surcharges have covered only a small part of the extra costs from fuel."

<<<ENDS

So don't get all shirty with me JB. I only quoted what was written in the newspaper.

[Zoner]

http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/Story.asp?Article=123021&Sn=BUSI&IssueID=28192

Gulf Air in tie-up with freight firm

MANAMA: Gulf Air signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) yesterday with Evergreen International Aviation to work on a number of joint venture projects.

The projects include exploring the feasibility of partnerships in freighter operations to serve regional and long-haul markets.

The MoU was signed by Gulf Air president and chief executive James Hogan and Evergreen International Aviation founder and owner Delford Smith, at the airline's headquarters in Muharraq.

"One of our key strengths is our regional network and our ability to serve key destinations in Europe and Asia," said Mr Hogan.

"Gulf Air was the first airline in the Middle East to offer an express airfreight service and because we constantly offer the fastest and most reliable express service, we are the acknowledged leaders in that field in the Middle East.

"Such joint ventures with Evergreen, a leader in its field, strive to better our services, which better serve our clients."

Gulf Air is ideally placed in the Middle East to ship consignments anywhere, said Mr Smith.

"We at Evergreen are excited to work with this great team at Gulf Air. "Evergreen is a global leader in cargo operations with Boeing 747. "With the different aviation businesses in the Evergreen group of companies, Gulf Air and Evergreen are an ideal fit for future strategies."

[jackbauer]

Xeque - So don't get all shirty with me JB. I only quoted what was written in the newspaper.
If all you did was quote the article then where did Doha come from? There was also no mention of the word Downsize but you were happy to include that also. In short you did not read the article properly and put two and two together to get 5. All this to create some sensationalist thread. You should be a tabloid journalist.

[The Trappist]

According to the guys at the Orval; for Jackbauer, read misconceived, misdirected management. Can't possibly countenance concise, constructive, criticism.
Rumour has that dinosaurs were around for a long time, and then met with an untimely end…!
Could it be that Gulf has run its course?
Would the last one out turn off the lights? Then again, why bother, there’s always more money to squander…(apparently)

P.S.
As for the tie-up with Evergreen…
Be afraid! Be very afraid!
Have a look at this Eva Air site: some marvellous posts at their website www.nankantraz.org

[HZ123]

This comes as no suprise your outfit has been going downhill for a long time and cannot compete with many of the new airlines on the block. There are comparisons to be drawn between Gulf and BA, namely having enjoyed a monopoly for so long present day finances have caught you up.

[yamaha]

Lets be fair.

It is not Gulf Air's policies that are being criticised here.
They were and still are a very good airline.

It just happens to be a fact that once upon a time there was Gulf Air and pretty much no one else in the region. Now things have changed. So naturally like everyone else in the industry, Gulf Air will have to change.

How remains to be seen, but I would be very surprised if the industry expert's do not suggest that down sizing is a must.

Unfortunate yes of course but we are all aware of the current predicament aviation finds itself in.

[Bushflier]

Nothing to do with present thread, and copied/adapted from another airline's forum, but funny.

A major research institution has recently announced the discovery of the heaviest element yet known to science. The new element has been named

"Gulfairmentium".*



Gulfairmentium (GF) has one neutron, 25 assistant neutrons, 88 deputy neutrons, and 198 assistant deputy neutrons, giving it an atomic mass of 312. These 312 particles are held together by forces called morons, which are surrounded by vast quantities of lepton like particles called peons.

Since Gulfairmentium has no electrons, it is inert. However, it can be detected, because it impedes every reaction with which it comes into contact. A minute amount of Gulfairmentium causes one reaction to take over four days to complete, when it would normally take less than a second. Gulfairmentium has a normal half-life of 4 years; it does not decay, but instead undergoes a reorganization in which a portion of the assistant neutrons and deputy neutrons exchange places. In fact, Gulfairmentium's mass will actually increase over time, since each reorganization will cause more morons to become neutrons, forming isodopes . This characteristic of moron promotion leads some scientists to believe that Gulfairmentium is formed whenever morons reach a certain quantity in concentration. This hypothetical quantity is referred to as Critical Morass. When catalyzed with money, Gulfairmentium becomes Hoganium - an element which radiates less energy than Gulfairmentium since it has half as many peons but twice as many morons.

[ironbutt57]

Looks like bushflier has ben into the "BC bud" a bit heavy these days....very creative though...;)

[insert]

Anybody know as to how the Gulf air flights are doing out of DUB,good loads? Will the rest of the mideast arrive on the routes soon!

[akerosid]

Haven't heard much about the loads, although James Hogan seemed to suggest, in an interview before the route started, that advance bookings were pretty healthy.

As to other carriers, EI is the only one to have announced another route (to DXB); EK seems to have bottled out AGAIN for 2006; seemingly Algiers and Tunis are more attractive to them , although they will also add Hamburg and Nagoya. Pity, that. QR has also evinced an interest, although that won't happen next year either.

Hope the GF route does well, but a longer runway at DUB would allow nonstops to Asia, but the DAA doesn't seem to want that to happen.

[Propellor]

An Arabic daily (Alayam), published from Bahrain, has reported that James Hogan has resigned as CEO of Gulf Air.
Confirmations?
Comments?

[johnrizzo2000]

I've heard that the DUB flights have been doing well. I'm not sure about First class, but apparently Business and Economy have been selling well. Although, nobody has any idea about loads, so they could be bleeding money on the route!

[SiberianLion]

Apparently Martin Geroge is now the favourite runner to take over GF as new CEO. He is from BA (ex commercial director) and took leave due to the price fixing scandel.:D

BIO:Martin George
Commercial Director

After graduating from Loughborough University in 1984 with a degree in Management Science, Martin joined Cadbury Ltd as a marketing trainee. He joined British Airways in 1987 and was appointed Commercial Director in August 2004. Martin's responsibilities include worldwide sales, marketing, revenue management, development of the airline's website, worldwide cargo and global PR. Martin is married with three daughters his interests include sport of any kind.:rolleyes:

[SiberianLion]

And today it was officially announced that Hogan will be joining Etihad from Monday. :mad:

[goldeneye]

Gulf Air are to scrap its routes to Sydney, Dublin and Johannesburg.
This was revelealed in an interview with the Deputy Chairman of Gulf Air, Mahmood Al Kooheji. Details from Travelmole.

[Desertia]

I know we (as in Bahrain) are coining it at the moment, but it strikes me that Gulf Air may be over-stretching themselves given the competition in their market; Etihad, Qatar, Emirates, then Jazeera, Air Arabia, Bahrain Air and who else may come along to chip away at them?

Cheers,
Desertia

Bahrain's Gulf Air has ordered 35 Airbus medium and long-haul aircraft in a deal worth $5 billion it was announced on Wednesday.

The order for 15 Airbus A320s and 20 Airbus A330s is worth "$5 billion at catalogue prices," Airbus commercial director John Leahy said at the Berlin Air Show.

Leahy acknowledged that major contracts often included negotiated discounts and the final value of aerospace deals is often a closely guarded secret.

The outcome can vary widely depending on the economic situation, the number of aircraft sold and whether or not the client has bought planes from the same manufacturer in the past.

Wednesday's deal was signed by Gulf Air boss Bjoern Naef, a Swiss national, and Airbus head Thomas Enders, a German.

"The A320 will serve Gulf Air’s regional destinations while the A330 will operate on the airline's European route and enhance its Far Eastern services," Naef said.

His company planned to focus on Middle Eastern service, Naef added, much as the airline Swiss has in Europe.

"There will be enough cake for everybody. Of course, there's competition but it's the same in Europe, for European airlines. We want to be a niche product," he said.

Gulf air traffic has grown by leaps and bounds and seen the emergence of several carriers that need to expand their fleets like Emireates in Dubai or its neighbour Qatar Airways, both of which are good Airbus clients.

The airlines have expanded rapidly as governments in the region work to diversify their economies from oil and gas into air transport and tourism.

Naef said it remained open whether Gulf Air would buy the future Airbus A350 jet now under development.

The company's order on Wednesday followed one in January for 16 Boeing 787 passenger jets worth around six billion dollars, along with an option for eight others.

The 787 and A350 are rivals designed to fly longer routes using less fuel.

Gulf Air plans to increase its fleet to 45 planes by 2013 from 25 at present.

The carrier became the sole property of Bahrain last May after Oman pulled out.

Former partners Abu Dhabi and Qatar withdrew from the airline's ownership in 2005 and 2002, respectively, to focus on their own carriers.

[Basil]

Desertia,
The carrier became the sole property of Bahrain last May after Oman pulled out.
Is Oman still the licensing authority?

Basil - from the days when the Oman CAD approved a certain British AME but GF would not accept his signature on a medical certificate :=

[Lord Bracken]

All GF aircraft are now A9C- registered.

[Basil]

Lord Bracken,
Thank you. That should generate a few nice little desk jobs :rolleyes:

[flybywire9]

GF Board sacks CEO Bjoern Naef
A friend in London just confirmed to me that the Chairman al Zain has asked Spencer Stuart to look out for a new CEO...finally good news ? No, as the key qualification of the new guy seems to be that he must speak arabic...nothing about turnaround experience, fleet planning etc.

So all the rumours about BN's exit seem to be true....does he know about it ? I would think so...

FBW

[jonathanbidden]

heard same story from EY mob. Everone seems to know, BN is not the leader GF needs, but they need an international pro

[411A]

GF is destined to fade into oblivion.
Sad, considering its long history...:}

[Captain Airclues]

It would seem that this has been going on for some time.

http://www.pprune.org/middle-east/333383-bjorn-naf-his-way-out.html

[Capt Groper]

I just flew with GF recently, and yes it could be seen that it hasn't kept up with the modern times.

1/ Auto PAs are old hat (i.e. announcement No 2, seatbelts on).
2/ PAs by Flight Deck and PUR were very poor, didn’t inspire a lot of confidence in the operation (non native English speakers).
3/ Even though 3 out of 4 sectors departed on schedule, the last sector ex BAH was an hour late. No announcement in the BAH terminal, just a rescheduled time on the TV monitor.
4/ On one sector the IFE system was inop and no PA made to apologize, had to ask FA to find out after take off.
5/ The headsets are deficient, 50% had exposed wires, had to keep pressing the earpiece to ear to hear all the audio. Looking around there appeared to be many PVS inop.
6/ Cabin Crew were not the friendliest, didn’t seem to be a happy bunch.
7/ BAH departures terminal is in desperate need of an upgrade.

So from a passengers point of view, things are not too good.

[Jumbo744]

wow, really? maybe you had ONE bad experience? I flew with them LHR-BAH-LHR on an A330. I loved it and was really impressed by the service.

[Che Guevara]

BN is not the leader GF needs, but they need an international pro

Couldn't agree more...but now, we are looking at this:

as the key qualification of the new guy seems to be that he must speak arabic...nothing about turnaround experience, fleet planning etc.
:rolleyes:

inshallah we will find one.

[winkle]

if anyone has any contact details i would appreciate a pm, i have jaa atpl etc and am looking for a ground based management posn. i am on dial up so doing a trawl is slow and intermittent. i also speak arabic (mil trained and worked in uae af) available sept 09.
thanks

[parabellum]

Nice one Winkle!:ok:

[Desertia]

As the current "boy in charge" bows down to just about everything the Islamist MPs say, this is probably just the latest in a long line of politically motivated decisions. They've been baying for his blood for months.

It would seem the gov't is happy shelling out billions for new aircraft and engines etc., but unfortunately for the airline it's being ripped to bits from the inside by inept management and an insh'allah attitude.

And despite knowing the chief fingers-in-till merchants, they still refuse to take them to task for it. Only in Bahrain......

[Jenniferr]

hey BN was way better i shouldn't remind you of the whole Andre dose experience my friends told me about.Its like taking major risks maybe the new CEO would be worst than BN I say keep the CEO.Use him like a puppit!