Gulf Air relaunches flights to New York-JFK

Gulf Air has returned to flying to New York John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), relaunching flights to an airport that it has not flown to for more than two decades, as it aims to build Bahrain’s connectivity beyond Asia, Europe, and the Middle East.

According to Flightradar24, Gulf Air flight GF 91 departed Bahrain International Airport (BAH) at 04:23 local time (UTC +3), arriving at JFK at 10:37 local time (UTC -4). In a statement to celebrate its return to JFK, the airline said that the returning route reflected “the depth of the longstanding friendship and strategic cooperation between the Kingdom of Bahrain and the United States of America.”

Celebrated on both sides of the route, with high-level executives and officials attending events at BAH and JFK, this is the first time in more than 20 years that Gulf Air has offered a service to JFK. In 1994, the Bahraini flag carrier launched twice-weekly flights between JFK and Larnaca International Airport (LCA), with the service continuing to Abu Dhabi Zayed International Airport (AUH), according to an article by The New York Times from 1994.

Now, the flights, operated with Boeing 787-9 aircraft, equipped with 26 business and 256 economy class seats, will depart BAH three times per week, connecting the two cities directly.

The carrier announced the flights in July 2025, with Jeffrey Goh, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Gulf Air, remarking that the route aligned with its strategy “of calibrated expansion and serving strategic markets, providing passengers with greater choice and convenience for travel,” including through BAH, between Bahrain and North America, and beyond.

Goh will be replaced as the CEO of Gulf Air by Martin Gauss, the former CEO of airBaltic, on November 4, 2025.

Gulf Air has listed American Airlines as one of its codeshare partners, which includes several destinations in the US, such as Boston Logan International Airport (BOS), Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD), Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), and others.

The codeshare agreement also includes flights from Frankfurt Airport (FRA), London Heathrow Airport (LHR), and Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG), three destinations that Gulf Air has served long before returning to JFK.

Apart from JFK, Gulf Air’s other long-haul destinations include, but are not limited to, Manila Ninoy Aquino International Airport (MNL), Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG), Singapore Changi Airport (SIN), and others.

That is surely about to change, as not only is the Bahraini airline awaiting the delivery of two new 787-9s, but it also signed an agreement for up to 18 additional 787s in July 2025, split between 12 firm and six options.

The firm orders have yet to be added to Boeing’s backlog, according to the manufacturer’s latest orders and deliveries filings.

While neither Boeing nor Gulf Air revealed the exact subtype of the aircraft, the press release stated that the Bahraini carrier opted for the GE Aerospace GEnx engine, deviating from its current 787-9 engine supplier, Rolls-Royce.