Gulf Air, the national carrier of Bahrain, celebrated its inaugural service to the Maldives as its flight GF144 landed in Velana International Airport in the capital, Male.

The landing aircraft, a new Airbus 320neo, was welcomed with a water cannon salute and, upon arrival, a celebratory event was held at the airport which saw the attendance of Gulf Air’s chief commercial officer Vincent Coste, the managing director of Maldives Marketing & Public Relations Corporation Thoyyib Mohamed and chief executive of Maldives Civil Aviation Authority Hussain Jaleel along with various dignitaries.

At the inaugural event in Velana International Airport, Coste said: “This is a remarkable event for us to fly, for the first time, to the Maldives. This tourist destination is widely popular amongst premium leisure travellers being honeymooners or families seeking luxurious holidays

“With five weekly direct flights between Bahrain and Male and with great connectivity through our hub, this destination promises to be a key route within our growing network.”

Acting head of Operations of Maldives Airports Company Ibrahim Hareef said: “It’s an honour that ‘Gulf Air’ the flag carrier of Bahrain has become our newest partner and we are confident that the airline will add value to our airport and benefit the Maldives in terms of Trade & Tourism and I thank Gulf Air Team for choosing Velana International Airport in their route expansion and I wish Gulf Air success in their future endeavours.” – TradeArabia News Service