Partnership between Beond and Gulf Air
Gulf Air and beOnd have unveiled a new strategic partnership in Bahrain that will create a joint network dedicated to the premium leisure segment, connecting the Kingdom of Bahrain to the Maldives and several European destinations. The project will start in the 2026/27 winter season and will then be expanded in the 2027 summer season.
For Gulf Air passengers, the new feature will result in greater access to new long-haul leisure destinations, thanks to a collaboration that includes codeshare and integration with the loyalty programme. All flights in the new network will be operated by beOnd with its premium full lie-flat configuration.
The operational heart of the partnership will be Bahrain International Airport (BAH), which will become the access point to the network through Gulf Air's global distribution channels. The aim is to strengthen Bahrain's role as a distinctive hub in the region and expand Gulf Air's premium presence in the long-haul leisure segment.
In the winter 2026/27 season, the joint network will offer a daily connection to the Maldives and flights to London, Milan (Malpensa), Moscow, Paris, Rome (Fiumicino) and Zurich. For Travellers, this means a new offer of premium flights between Bahrain, Europe and one of the most popular leisure destinations in the Indian Ocean.
In the summer 2027 season, the network will expand further with the addition of Geneva, Málaga and Nice. The flight to the Maldives will continue throughout the year, while frequencies to European destinations will be adapted to seasonal demand. The two companies also announced that the network can be further expanded in the future with new routes and frequencies.
For those travelling with Gulf Air, the partnership will also open up new opportunities within the Falconflyer programme, extending access to new long-haul leisure destinations and creating further possibilities for connecting with the Bahraini carrier's global network.
The Bahrain network is part of beOnd's wider multi-jurisdictional platform, which includes the Maldives, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. For the winter 2026/27 season, the airline plans to operate six aircraft in a premium full lie-flat configuration, thus tripling the fleet used in the previous winter.
