National carrier Gulf Air said one of its Saudi-bound flights, with 107 passengers and 11 crew members, turned back and landed safely at Bahrain International Airport on Wednesday after it experienced severe turbulence on approach into King Khalid International Airport.

Confirming the incident, Gulf Air staff said due to the inclement weather conditions in Riyadh yesterday (May 10), the plane was diverted back and landed safely with all the passengers and the crew in Bahrain at 7.15pm (local time).

The flight GF167, an Airbus A330 had departed Bahrain International Airport at 3.45pm (local time) for King Khalid International Airport in Saudi city of Riyadh, it stated.

Gulf Air said once the weather conditions improved, the flight once again took off for Riyadh at 8.37pm and landed safely at King Khalid International Airport at 10.01pm (local time).
 
The Bahraini flag carrier has issued an apology to all passengers for the inconvenience caused.

In a statement, Gulf Air said: "Our sincerest apologies to all passengers for any inconvenience caused by weather conditions that were beyond the airline’s control. As Bahrain’s national carrier, we always strive to deliver the highest standards of customer service while delivering on our commitment to the safety and security of passengers and crew."

Gulf Air is a major international carrier serving 42 cities in 25 countries spanning three continents.-TradeArabia News Service