Gulf Air, the national carrier of Bahrain, has launched its first Scandinavian operation with four weekly flights to Denmark capital Copenhagen.

The inaugural flight took off from Bahrain International Airport at 1.30 am on Friday and landed at Copenhagen at 7.30am.

On Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, the Gulf Air flight (GF 027) will take off from Bahrain airport at 1.30 am and land in Copenhagen at 7.30am, on return GF 026 will leave the Danish capital at 11am and arrive in Bahrain at 6.50pm.

As part of the launch promotion, Gulf Air has announced a special return fare from Copenhagen to Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Dammam, Doha, Dubai, and Muscat starting from DKK1500 ($292).

Addressing the media and travel trade in Copenhagen, Gulf Air chief commercial officer Karim Makhlouf said, “With the commencement of our services today between Bahrain and Copenhagen, we are opening the doors for commercial and tourism opportunities in the whole of Scandinavia and the Baltic region, and the Mena and beyond.”

'Bahrain, from where Gulf Air operates, sits at the gateway to the vast Arabian Gulf providing easy access to 36 million consumers in the Gulf and 400 million consumers in the Mena region, and Gulf Air provides excellent connectivity to these markets with its extensive network,' said the airline official.

'Bahrain, on its own, is ranked as the freest economy in the region besides boasting of a rich cultural heritage and history, tropical climate with some beautiful little islands and a multi-cultural, cosmopolitan lifestyle,' he remarked.

Makhlouf said, 'We know that Scandinavians are keen travellers to the Asian and the Indian sub-continent regions and Copenhagen is the travel hub for the Scandinavian and Baltic regions.'

'Gulf Air offers seamless and convenient flight schedules for those travelling to key destinations in Asia and the Indian sub-continent such as Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, New Delhi and Mumbai via Bahrain – the fastest hub in the region,' he added.

“On the other hand, Arabs are also keen travellers, who look for newer places to spend their summer holidays with family and friends; with our Copenhagen connection, we are opening the doors for them to enjoy Denmark and beyond – the whole of Scandinavia and the Baltic regions.'

'We are working closely with ‘Copenhagen Connected’ and hope to promote the Danish capital in the Gulf region,” Makhlouf added.

Copenhagen Airport CEO Thomas Woldbye said, “We are delighted to receive Gulf Air into Copenhagen, joining our select of two Gulf airlines. We are also pleased to know that Gulf Air has added one more destination to its pioneering record by becoming the first airline to connect Bahrain with Scandinavian, Baltic regions through Copenhagen.'

“It is an exciting time here at Copenhagen airport, as we look forward to receiving people from Bahrain and beyond with our true Danish hospitality. At the same time we are all set to introduce the beauty of Bahrain, known as the ‘Pearl of the Gulf’, to our Danish people through Gulf Air,” he added.-TradeArabia News Service