Manama: The Chairman of the Board of Directors of Gulf Air, Bahrain’s national carrier, on Wednesday said that while five pilots have tendered their resignations this month, the airline has hired 18 pilots who will be joining in March and April.
Zayed Bin Rashid Al Zayani made the statement amid reports in Bahrain that pilots working for Gulf Air had resigned, causing disruptions to the company’s flight schedules.
“The company had swiftly dealt with the reasons behind the recent cancellation of flights, which did not exceed 2 per cent of the company’s February flights and only affected 1 per cent of Gulf Air passengers,” Al Zayani who is also Bahrain’s Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism, said.
“Bahrain’s national carrier will always prioritise the highest standards of passenger service. Gulf Air has stood for diligence, competence and excellence throughout its long history, and underscored the national carrier’s commitment to enhancing the efficient operation of the company’s modern fleet by continuing to hire and train Bahraini pilots,” he said in a statement.
The company chairman also underlined “the importance of cooperation in order to continue the development of Gulf Air and its wide-ranging services.”
Gulf Air has 362 pilots and has launched a training programme for 60 Bahraini pilots, 40 of whom have already joined the national carrier, and the 20 others are completing their training, he added.
Gulf Air, formerly a multinational airline owned by Bahrain, UAE, Oman, and Qatar, operates scheduled services to 50 destinations in 27 countries across Africa, Asia and Europe.
