Gulf Air to Buy 40-50 Aircraft in Next 6 Months

Gulf Air, Bahrain's national airline, will place an order for between 40 and 50 aircraft in the next six months, Chief Financial Officer, Sahar Ataei, told Gulf News in Dubai on Tuesday.

"We have finalised some aircraft deals and are still looking to finalise some others within the coming six months," Ataei said on the sidelines of the Middle East & Africa Airfinance Conference.

The new aircraft will be used for regional and long-haul routes and will feature a new cabin product, Ataei said without providing further details.

Gulf Air is in the third year of an aggressive restructuring plan that saw the airline cut its losses in 2014 by 32 percent to 62.7 million Bahraini dinars (US$166.2 million). The aircraft order, which will include narrow-body short haul and wide-body long haul aircraft, is part of the airline's expansion plans from the end of 2016 when it expects to be debt free.

"We have almost paid 75 to 80 percent of all the [legacy] debts" and the airline is on track to pay off all of its pre-2013 debts by the end of next year, Ataei said.