Gulf Air is considering a further expansion of its aircraft fleet after strong passenger demand exposed limitations in its widebody capacity, with chief executive Martin Gauss warning that the airline may have underestimated its long-term requirements for Boeing 787 Dreamliners.
The Bahrain-based carrier is reviewing its fleet strategy for the next decade as it seeks to expand services to Europe and Asia, increase frequencies across the Gulf region and prepare for a possible surge in passenger traffic when regional tensions ease.
Speaking during a panel discussion at Routes World 2026 in Frankfurt, Gauss acknowledged that the airline’s existing aircraft commitments might not be sufficient to support its current operations and future ambitions.
“Maybe we have not ordered enough 787s in the past to fulfill our needs for today,” Gauss said, noting that the airline’s passenger load factors are currently in the mid-80 per cent range.
Two additional Boeing 787s are expected to join the fleet in the spring, but Gulf Air is already assessing whether further orders will be necessary to accommodate growing demand.
In July 2025, the airline announced an agreement to purchase 12 Boeing 787s, with options for six additional aircraft. Boeing said at the time that finalisation of the agreement would bring Gulf Air’s firm orderbook for the aircraft to 14, in addition to the 10 Dreamliners already in service.
The planned fleet expansion is intended to provide the capacity required for Gulf Air to strengthen its international network. However, the airline’s immediate challenge is obtaining enough widebody aircraft to deploy on routes where demand and commercial opportunities justify larger planes.
Gauss said the shortage has forced Gulf Air to operate Airbus A321 narrowbody aircraft on several routes where it would prefer to deploy the larger Boeing 787s, particularly on European services.
“We need to bring the 787s to Europe,” he said. “We just don’t have enough today.”
Beyond Europe, the airline sees significant opportunities in Asia, where Bahrain’s bilateral air service agreements could allow it to introduce additional routes and increase connectivity with markets it does not currently serve.
“If we look now at Asia, at all the potential markets, because Bahrain is an independent country, we have a lot of bilateral flying rights we’re not using today,” Gauss said.
However, converting those opportunities into additional flights will depend heavily on aircraft availability. Gauss warned that delivery timelines for new Boeing 787s could constrain the airline’s expansion plans, with an order placed now potentially not arriving until 2034.
Such a lengthy wait would make it difficult for Gulf Air to respond quickly to changing market conditions, particularly if demand rebounds sharply following the easing of regional geopolitical tensions.
The airline has already had to demonstrate flexibility in responding to disruption caused by the Iran conflict. When Bahrain’s airspace was closed for 40 days, Gulf Air temporarily relocated its fleet to Saudi Arabia and reconstructed its network from there before gradually returning its aircraft to Bahrain.
Gauss said the airline managed to rebuild its network within six weeks, highlighting the operational adjustments required to maintain connectivity during the disruption.
Despite those challenges, Gulf Air is now operating slightly more of its network than it did a year earlier, while revenue is also ahead of the previous year's level.
Nevertheless, the chief executive cautioned that the airline could struggle to accommodate a sudden increase in passenger numbers once the crisis subsides if its fleet remains constrained.
“If we just assume that the surge is coming after the crisis is over, we would not have the capacity to take all the passengers who would come from such a surge,” he said.
The airline is therefore working to finalise a comprehensive fleet strategy that will determine the balance between widebody and narrowbody aircraft required over the next 10 years.
“We are finalizing our fleet plan for the next 10 years, and then we will definitely see more aircraft. We will see more widebodies and more narrowbodies and a different mix than today,” Gauss said.
Gulf Air is also pursuing network expansion in Southeast Asia. On September 29, the carrier launched services to Kuala Lumpur, adding another destination in the region alongside Singapore.
According to Gauss, the Malaysian market offers opportunities beyond passengers travelling directly between Bahrain and Kuala Lumpur. The airline could also attract connecting traffic from Malaysia’s domestic network, routing passengers through Bahrain to destinations across its wider international network.
China represents another potential area of growth. Gulf Air currently serves Guangzhou and Shanghai, which Gauss described as performing well. Further expansion into the Chinese market, however, will depend partly on the availability of additional bilateral traffic rights.
The fleet review comes at a pivotal point for Gulf Air as it seeks to strengthen its position as an international connector while managing aircraft supply constraints, regional uncertainty and rising demand.
Although the airline has already committed to a substantial number of Boeing 787s, its next fleet decisions will determine how quickly it can expand its long-haul operations, capitalise on emerging markets and accommodate a potential recovery in regional air travel.