Gulf Air will today resume flights to and from London, Paris, Frankfurt following the announcement of the gradual reopening of the airspace by European authorities.

The airline will operate flight GF003 which leaves Bahrain for London at 2.45pm and flight GF006 which returns from London at 9.25pm, a Gulf Air statement said last night.

Flight GF019 to Paris will leave Bahrain on schedule at 1.30am and flight GF017 to Frankfurt on schedule at 1.15am.

'We hope to resume our full operations to and from these stations by tomorrow, subject to the full and permanent opening of the airspace.'

Meanwhile, Gulf Air has stepped in to help passengers delayed by the fallout of the erupting Icelandic volcano.

A spokeswoman said more than 260 passengers were being accommodated in hotels in Bahrain at the airline's expense. 'We are doing everything to ensure that Gulf Air passengers stranded in Bahrain are as comfortable as possible in terms of accommodation and meals,' she said.

'We have also set up an emergency taskforce team that is meeting those passengers and explaining the options.

'In addition as a gesture of goodwill, for those passengers stranded in transit in Bahrain, Gulf Air has offered a credit value equal to their original full ticket to travel on Gulf Air services at a future date.'

Crowne Plaza Hotel and Golden Tulip confirmed an influx of passengers in the last few days. 'We're collaborating with Gulf Air to accommodate stranded passengers,' said Crowne Plaza sales and marketing director Kate Simmonds. 'They're being provided with access to the Internet, the British Consulate website and means to contact their families.

Golden Tulip was also appreciative of the way the passengers had reacted.

'We explained the crisis individually to them and they've been quite considerate,' said assistant general manager Abdul Rahim Al Sayed.

'We told them that it's better to be on the ground than fly in unsure conditions. We witnessed worse situations during the Gulf War, this is no crisis.'-TradeArabia News Service