Gulf Eyes New Boeing 787 Order

Gulf Air is reportedly looking to purchase additional aircraft to boost its overall fleet and, therefore, expand its network in the long term.

As part of plans to grow the fleet, the airline is looking towards the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, an aircraft already part of the business.

A top-up commitment would add either the 787-8 or 787-10 to the long-haul operations. Group CEO Jeffrey Goh discussed the order at the IATA Annual General Meeting. Such an aircraft order isn’t ready to be announced just yet, as the airline is still assessing options before making a final decision.

Gulf Air’s fleet comprises 41 jets, including 10 Boeing 787 Dreamliners. One unit is listed as parked, and the remaining are in service. Interestingly, the airline only flies the 787-9 Dreamliners.

As a result, if the commitment for the 787 went through and the aforementioned variants were included this would represent a shift from the already operational -9.

Many airlines worldwide have looked to leverage the versatility of the 787 Dreamliner to their advantage by utilising all the variants for varying purposes. United Airlines remains one of the leading examples of using the 787 family to its advantage across various missions.

Gulf Air believes purchasing new widebody aircraft is important for maintaining its high standards and aligning with ambitious growth targets. However, focusing on a new narrowbody order isn’t required because of a healthy backlog.

The prospective order from Gulf Air for Boeing jets will be music to the manufacturer’s ears. The company recently reported a slow month for orders and deliveries.

The American plane maker has been facing pressures from all angles and thus seen production rates fall and firm commitments drop. As Boeing risks falling further behind Airbus, commitments such as these, which are in the works, will be important so they do not lose too much ground.