Gulf Air and Emirates have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to deepen commercial ties, including plans to establish a codeshare partnership, extend reciprocal loyalty benefits, and initiate cargo cooperation.

The deal was signed on the first day of the Dubai Airshow by Gulf Air’s acting CEO Waleed Al Alawi and Emirates President Tim Clark.

Under the codeshare agreement, Emirates will place its EK code on Gulf Air operated flights between Bahrain (BAH) and Dubai (DXB), while Gulf Air will add its GF code to Emirates’ services between the destinations.

“Gulf Air and Emirates operate multiple flights between Bahrain and Dubai and this agreement will provide passengers with more choices beyond our hubs,” Al Alawi said.

OAG data shows that Gulf Air currently serves BAH-DXB 5X-daily, while Emirates provides 19X-weekly flights. The market is also served 25X-weekly by FlyDubai and 2X-weekly by KLM.

In addition, Gulf Air has signed an enhanced MOU with Ras Al Khaimah International Airport (RKT) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) building on an agreement forged earlier this year.

The expanded agreement will see Gulf Air launch a 2X-weekly service between Bahrain and Ras Al Khaimah, with a view to offering year-round scheduled flights.

“As the region’s leading boutique carrier with a global footprint, we look forward to adding Ras Al Khaimah to our network of seaside destinations and increasing our UAE points to three with Abu Dhabi and Dubai,” Gulf Air Chairman Zayed R. Alzayani said.

RKT CEO Atanasios Titonis added: “Gulf-state connectivity is a key factor of our expansion strategy, and Gulf Air is an ideal partner for this mission.”

The signing of the agreements with Emirates and RKT comes as Gulf Air continues to rebuild its network following the COVID-19 crisis. Frequencies have been increased on 10 routes, including taking Istanbul to 10X-weekly and Amman (AMM) to double-daily.

Photo credit: Gulf Air