Gulf Air adds London Gatwick to its network

March 2, 2025

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Gulf Air has announced the launch of flights between Bahrain and London Gatwick as of March 30th. The airline will operate this route three times weekly with Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft, configured for 282 passengers in two classes (26 seats in Business and 256 seats in Economy).

London Gatwick will be the tenth European airport served by Gulf Air, and the third in the United Kingdom. London Heathrow and Manchester are its other UK destinations, while Athens, Frankfurt, Istanbul, Larnaca, Milan, Munich, Paris Charles de Gaulle and Rome comprise the remaining connections on the continent.

According to our database, starting in late March, Gulf Air will offer 22 flights per week on the Bahrain – United Kingdom market, being the main regular operator. British Airways has five weekly frequencies to/from LHR on Boeing 777-200ERs (flight BA 124/125).

Wednesday, Friday and Sunday

Gulf Air routes between Bahrain and Europe

Cyprus

Larnaca (LCA): 4 weekly · Airbus A320

France

Paris (CDG): 7 weekly · Airbus A321neo

Germany

Frankfurt (FRA): 7 weekly · Airbus A321neo
Munich (MUC): 4 weekly · Airbus A321neo

Greece

Athens (ATH): 7 weekly · A20N/A21N

Italy

BAH – Milan (MXP) – BAH: 4 weekly · Airbus A321neo
BAH – Rome (FCO) – Milan (MXP) – Rome (FCO) – BAH: 6 weekly · A21N

United Kingdom

Birmingham (BHX): it will operate on March 1st (GF 2010/2011)
London Heathrow (LHR): 14 weekly · Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner
Manchester (MAN): 5 weekly · Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner

Gulf Air’s fleet consists of 42 aircraft (8 Airbus A320-200, 6 Airbus A320neo, 4 Airbus A321-200, 14 Airbus A321neo and 10 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner).

TAAG incorporates its first Boeing 787-9

On January 30th at 12:13 local time, the first Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner of TAAG Linhas Aéreas de Angola arrived at Dr. Antonio Agostinho Neto Airport, Luanda’s new airport. This two-year-old aircraft, registered D2-TEQ , landed from Everett after a 17-hour ferry flight.

The arrival of the first Boeing 787 marks an important step in the expansion plan being developed by TAAG since 2023, joining the delivery of the first Airbus A220-300s, new from the factory. Four Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners were ordered by the Angolan airline in October 2023.

TAAG fleet

Airbus A220-300: 1
Boeing 737-700: 8
Boeing 737-800: 1
Boeing 777-200(ER): 3
Boeing 777-300(ER): 5
Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner: 1
DHC-8-400: 6

“The delivery of the 787-9 is a pivotal step in our strategy to modernize TAAG Angola Airlines’ fleet,” said Nelson Pedro Rodrigues de Oliveira, CEO of TAAG Angola Airlines. “This airplane brings the efficiency and versatility we need to meet growing market demands, replace our aging widebody fleet, and deliver a world-class experience to our passengers.”

TAAG Linhas Aéreas de Angola’s relationship with Boeing celebrated its 50th anniversary on February 4th, when the airline incorporated its first Boeing, a Boeing 737-2M2C(Adv) registration D2-TAA.

“The 787 Dreamliner will complement TAAG Angola Airlines’ fleet of Boeing 737 and 777 jets, as we continue to support the airline in its mission to connect people and places across the globe,” said Anbessie Yitbarek, vice president of Boeing Commercial Sales for Africa. “Our 50-year relationship with TAAG Angola Airlines has been built on trust and shared goals, and we look forward to many more years of successful collaboration and innovation together.”

Royal Air Maroc to commence flights to London Stansted

Effective June 24th, Royal Air Maroc will start operations between Casablanca and London Stansted, to be conducted with 159-seat Boeing 737-800 aircraft. The carrier will serve three times per week under this schedule:

Tuesday, Friday and Sunday

London Stansted will become the third London airport with Royal Air Maroc operations. It joins London Gatwick and London Heathrow, which are performed five and eight times weekly from Casablanca, respectively.

Amsterdam, Barcelona, Bologna, Bordeaux, Brussels, Frankfurt, Geneva, Istanbul, Lisbon, London Gatwick, London Heathrow, Lyon, Madrid, Málaga, Manchester, Marseille, Milan, Montpellier, Nantes, Naples, Nice, Paris Charles de Gaulle, Paris Orly, Porto, Rome, Seville, Strasbourg, Toulouse, Turin, Valencia and Venice are its destinations in Europe.

Kenya Airways adds a new Boeing 737

The company takes delivery of a new 737-800, reaching 11 aircraft of this type in its fleet. As per its press release, the Boeing 737 is owned by lessor Dubai Aerospace Enterprise (DAE), has 170 seats in two classes (16 Business and 154 Economy) and is 12 years old.

This addition is part of Kenya Airways’ ongoing expansion strategy. The airline aims to strengthen its network of operations, which currently comprises 23 countries in Africa, four in Asia, three in Europe and one in the Americas.

Kenya Airways fleet

Boeing 737-300: 2
Boeing 737-800: 11
Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner: 9
Embraer 190: 13

5Y-CYF is the registry of Kenya Airways’ new Boeing 737-800.

Allan Kilavuka, Kenya Airways Group Managing Director & CEO said, “the addition of this B737-800 marks a pivotal moment in our fleet expansion journey. It will increase our seat capacity and is a demonstration of our ability to adapt and grow in a challenging operating environment, even as the global aviation industry faces challenges in aircraft availability. These efforts are part of Kenya Airways’ broader strategy to enhance its network, improve connectivity, and deliver exceptional service to its guests.”

Kenya Airways routes

Click on the image to see the routes and frequencies

“We are committed to building a robust and modern fleet that supports our vision for growth,” added Mr Kilavuka. “The acquisition of the B737-800 aircraft from DAE is a great milestone in our long-term partnership and solidifies our relationship as we work together in the future. It is also a clear signal to the aviation industry that Kenya Airways is a reliable and forward-thinking partner. We invite other partners to join us on this journey as we expand our operations and strengthen our position in the global aviation market.”

We review other highlights of the Africa and Middle East market

At 22:46 local time on January 21st, AfriJet’s inaugural flight from Libreville landed in Port Harcourt. The Gabonese airline will operate twice a week by ATR 72-500s configured for 70 passengers.

LBV – PHC

PHC – LBV

“This direct flight between Libreville and Port Harcourt, as well as between Libreville and Bangui, marks a major milestone in facilitating regional travel. It addresses the critical need to strengthen ties between Central Africa and Nigeria by reducing logistical barriers. We are pleased to offer our passengers a faster, more comfortable, and direct option”, commented Nyl Moret-Mba, Afrijet General Director.

The new Congolese carrier, which began operations in December 2024, made a major route expansion in January, which it will offer to/from Kinshasa, Air Congo’s hub and the country’s capital.

Air Congo is an airline managed by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with the support of Ethiopian Airlines. At the time of publication, two Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737-800s are operating for the airline, being 9S-AGA and 9S-AOA their registrations.

New routes, as AeroRoutes reports

The Democratic Republic of the Congo holds a 51% stake, while Ethiopian Airlines owns the remaining 49%.

Following more than two years, the Egyptian company has once again added aircraft to its fleet.

AlMasria Universal Airlines, based at Cairo International Airport, incorporated two Airbus A321-200s in mid-February, which are parked in Amman at publication time. Both would be undergoing maintenance prior to the start of operations.

Airbus A320s, Airbus A321s and Boeing 737s are part of the carrier’s fleet.

Fleet

Airbus A320-232: 2 (SU-TCE, SU-TCF)
Airbus A321-200: 4 (SU-TCL, SU-TCM, SU-TCN and SU-TCP)
Boeing 737-446: 2 (SU-TCI, SU-TCK)

SU-TCN and SU-TCP are the new A321 registrations.

Arkia Israeli Airlines will extend its services between Tel Aviv and New York until at least October 2025. At first, as we had published in this article reporting about the launch of TLV-JFK by Arkia, they were confirmed until the end of March.

The company has three weekly flights to New York’s John F Kennedy International Airport with Iberojet’s Airbus A330-900neo aircraft, which are configured for 388 passengers in single class.

TLV – JFK

JFK – TLV

With respect to other airlines in this market, United Airlines has announced that it will resume service to Tel Aviv on March 15th, while Delta Air Lines will do the same two weeks later. American Airlines remains without a tentative restart date.

As of April 1st, Delta Air Lines will recommence flights to Israel after a seven-month suspension due to the conflict in the region.

The U.S. airline will operate a daily service from/to JFK using Airbus A330-900 planes, offering nearly 2,000 seats per week on each leg.

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Emirates, the world’s largest international airline, and Air Peace, Nigeria’s leading airline, have signed a codeshare agreement to enhance international connectivity to/from Nigeria.

This agreement expands Emirates’ footprint to 12 new cities in Nigeria, including Abuja, Asaba, Akure, Benin City, Calabar, Enugu, Ilorin, Kaduna, Kano, Port Harcourt, Uyo and Warri, in addition to Lagos, currently served by Emirates from Dubai with seven weekly frequencies.

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Air Peace has 31 aircraft in its fleet, comprising Airbus A320s, Boeing 737s, Boeing 777s, Dornier 328-300s, Embraer 145s and Embraer E195-E2.

The carrier continues to add aircraft to its fleet, with the arrival of a new Boeing 737 MAX 8 in mid-February. According to our database, the 737 MAX, registered ET-BBA, began services on February 21st covering flight ET 178 between Addis Ababa and Awasa.

At 19:49 local time on February 16th, it landed in the Ethiopian capital from Everett via Dublin on a ferry flight. This is the 18th Boeing 737 MAX 8 of Ethiopian Airlines, which is almost three years old.

The 737 MAX 8 ET-BBA joins the Boeing 777-F with registry ET-BAB, the other new aircraft added to Ethiopian’s fleet so far in 2025.

Ethiopian Airlines, as you can see in our database, has 136 aircraft, averaging eight years of age.

Etihad Airways has confirmed through a press release the beginning of flights between Abu Dhabi and Sochi effective March 29th. Services will be offered three times weekly by Airbus A320-200 aircraft seating 158 passengers in two classes.

Sochi will become the airline’s third destination in Russia after Moscow and St. Petersburg, all to/from AUH.

Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday

The Russian city joins the long list of new destinations announced by Etihad Airways for 2025, which you can read about in this article.

Flydubai grows in Türkiye with a new destination from Dubai, by summer 2025.

Flights to Antalya will commence on June 5th and will run daily until September 30th. Antalya will be the low cost carrier’s fifth route to Türkiye, joining Ankara, Bodrum, Istanbul (IST and SAW) and Trabzon. Like Antalya, Bodrum and Trabzon are seasonal.

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Commenting on the start of operations, Jeyhun Efendi, Divisional Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations and E-commerce at flydubai, said: “We are pleased to have expanded our seasonal summer network with the start of flights to Antalya. During the busy summer period, we will operate more than 50 flights a week to Türkiye where passengers can explore the region’s stunning coastlines and rich history. We look forward to welcoming our passengers on board where they can enjoy convenient travel options to one of Türkiye’s most beautiful coastal cities.”

Starting March 26th, Fly Jinnah will expand its operations in Bahrain as it launches services from Lahore. The Pakistani airline will fly three times a week with 180-seat Airbus A320-200s.