Gulf Air to Restart New York Flights in October 2025
Gulf Air has announced it will resume nonstop flights between Bahrain International Airport (BAH) and New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) starting October 1, 2025. The long-anticipated return to the United States was confirmed during Bahrain Crown Prince and Prime Minister Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa’s visit to Washington, where he met with President Donald Trump on July 16, 2025.
The revived service will operate three times a week using Gulf Air’s Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, configured with 282 seats—26 in its Falcon Gold business class and 256 in economy. Arriving initially at JFK’s Terminal 1, the airline plans to transition to the new Terminal One once it opens in mid-2026. Tickets are already available for booking on Gulf Air’s website, although they remain pending final government approvals.
This marks Gulf Air’s first scheduled service to the United States since 1997, when it flew an Airbus A340 from Bahrain to New York and onward to Houston. The relaunch highlights a new chapter for the Bahraini flag carrier, which has spent recent years restructuring operations under CEO Jeffrey Goh. The airline has focused on profitability, streamlining routes, and strengthening its premium brand positioning to compete with major Gulf carriers.
Gulf Air’s return to the US market follows a series of regulatory milestones. In January 2025, the US Department of Transportation granted the airline operating authority. That approval came on the heels of Bahrain receiving a Category 1 safety rating from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in November 2024, clearing the way for transatlantic expansion.
The airline’s New York service is expected to reconnect business and tourism ties between Bahrain and the US and support the wider strategic relationship between the two countries. Gulf Air’s entry into the highly competitive US–Gulf corridor also signals renewed ambitions for growth as it reclaims its place on the global stage.
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