Gulf Air & Saudi Arabian Airlines Sign Codesharing Agreement

The Image Above: Gulf Air & Saudi Arabian Airlines' Respective Tails. Photo Credit: Gulf Air

Following the close relationship between the two sides, Gulf Air & Saudi Arabian Airlines have recently met and agreed on a new codesharing arrangement.

The focus behind this arrangement is to expand its footprints not just on a regional level but also on the international level as well. 

As it stands, Gulf Air will place its 'GF' codes on SAUDIA flights from Riyadh and Jeddah to:

The Image Above: A9C-FC, a Gulf Air Boeing 787 Dreamliner seen at London Heathrow Airport. Photo Credit: Anna Zvereza via Wikimedia Commons

• Bahrain
• Abha
• Jizan
• Yanbu
• Aljouf
• Ha'il
• Tunis-Carthage

As for SAUDIA, it will place its 'SV' codes on Gulf Air flights from Bahrain to:

• Riyadh
• Jeddah
• Tbilisi
• Sialkot
• Faisalabad
• Baku
• Multan

The Image Above: HZ-AR22, a SAUDIA Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. Photo Credit: Anna Zvereza via Wikimedia Commons

It is understood that this agreement will go into place in the Summer of this year. Commenting on the news was Gulf Air's Acting CEO, Captain Waleed AlAlawi, who stated that the existing relationship has always been strong.

“The relationship between the Kingdom of Bahrain and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has always been strong on many fronts, and aviation is one of them. Gulf Air and SAUDIA are the pioneer airlines in the GCC with over 70 years of legacy. We look forward to strengthening our ties to offer better connectivity and services to both airlines’ passengers”.

Also commenting on the news was Captain Ibrahim S. Koshy, the CEO of SAUDIA, who said that the Bahrain-based airline is a key partner.

“SAUDIA and Gulf Air are key partners in connecting guests on each carriers’ diverse route networks. Both airlines have a long history of partnership, in which this expanded codeshare agreement further enhances connectivity, convenience, and flexibility for travelers.”

News like this comes as no surprise to airlines across the Middle East as the likes of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) are looking at more ways to bring the region into a significant hub for aviation operations.