How would you like to celebrate a special occasion up in the air? For many avgeeks, such a concept will sound like a dream come true. However, Gulf Air has recently turned this dream into a reality by launching its very own boutique charter services.

Launched in October 2021

Gulf Air announced at the end of October 2021 that it would launch a new 'Boutique Charters' division. This allows customers to charter aircraft from the airline to suit all manner of purposes. Its website lists examples like "government and corporate delegations, group travel, destination weddings, private family holidays as well as private cargo consignments."

The concept ties into the Bahrain flag carrier's business model as a whole, which has also seen it rearrange itself as more of a boutique airline in recent years. Speaking at the World Aviation Festival last month, Gulf Air CEO Captain Waleed AlAlawi stated that:

"With COVID significantly affecting people, a lot of people are not comfortable flying commercially anymore. So we wanted to personalize it, to generate a service that gives the passengers the ability to personalize their journey."

Gulf Air Airbus A321neo
Some of Gulf Air's narrowbodies are also available for boutique charters. Photo: Airbus

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Despite being a relatively new concept in terms of the launch date, Gulf Air's charters are already proving to be a popular enterprise. A key factor is the number of aspects that customers can personalize. AlAlawi explains that they can choose things like "the size of the aircraft they can charter, the services they require, and departure time." He adds that:

"We managed to do all of the above, and create a platform to serve our passengers with this boutique service, and it has been very successful. Passenger feedback is great, and whoever used us, always came back to us and they are using the service again."

Gulf Air, Boeing 787, Sustainable Aviation Fuels
Bahrain Air competed with state-owned Gulf Air. Photo: Getty Images

Birthdays in the air

The exact number of charter flights being operated varies, and is difficult to pin down. However, AlAlawi did disclose that two had operated the day before his interview. Customers can even use the services to mark special occasions, with the Gulf Air CEO stating that:

"It's a totally different, personalized service. We allow passengers to celebrate birthdays, and we have a specific food menu so they can have a birthday party."

However, while celebrations like birthdays or weddings might be a common request for Gulf Air's boutique charters, the airline is open to just about anything. When it comes to what's possible in terms of passenger requests regarding these services, AlAlawi states:

"The sky is the limit to what you can do. We can accommodate any customer and we will give them full attention and dedication for this boutique service."

It will certainly be interesting to see how this exciting concept develops in 2022!

Did you know about Gulf Air's boutique charters? Have you ever been lucky enough to fly on one? Let us know your thoughts and experiences in the comments!