Bahrain national carrier Gulf Air said it had launched services to Sialkot in Pakistan from last Friday with two flights per week. This is the airline's fifth destination in Pakistan.

Operations to Sialkot International Airport, located around 125km north of Lahore, will provide Gulf Air's customers, travelling to the export triangle of Pakistan - the area encompassing Gujarat, Sialkot and Gujranwala where approximately 60 per cent of the country's small and medium enterprises are located - with an alternative travel proposition, reported the Gulf Daily News, our sister publication.

"Pakistan is a key longstanding market for Gulf Air and is one of our most successful destinations," Gulf Air's acting chief commercial officer Ahmed Janahi said.

"The recent 30 per cent frequency increase in our flights to Pakistan, spread across our network in the country - Karachi, Islamabad, Lahore and Peshawar - has been positively received by our passengers, as reflected by strong bookings," he noted.

"Therefore, the decision was taken to further strengthen our operations to the country by the addition of a fifth destination - Sialkot," he remarked.

"Gulf Air operates one of the largest networks in the region and as such presents a unique advantage for our Pakistani customers to reach the Middle East and North African markets with our seamless connection via Bahrain," stated Janahi

He said the addition of Sialkot to the network demonstrated the forward-looking emphasis of the airline.

Gulf Air is transitioning from a period of restructuring to one of development. "The airline remains committed to proactively leveraging opportunities to strengthen its network through identifying niche opportunities," Janahi said.

Gulf Air will operate flights to Sialkot on Tuesdays and Fridays with an Airbus A320 aircraft that offers 16 Falcon Gold class seats and 120 in economy, the report added.-TradeArabia News Service