Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain 15th May 2013

Gulf Air, the Kingdom of Bahrain's national carrier, in its ongoing commitment to maintaining the highest level of international aviation safety standards today announced the successful completion of the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA). The intensive audit is an internationally recognized and acknowledged evaluation system designed to assess the operational safety of an airline. Gulf Air also stated its support for the Enhanced IOSA, an evolved version of the current IOSA Audit that the International Air Transport Association (IATA) is scheduled to rollout by September 2015.

Gulf Air's first IOSA audit was carried out in 2005 and to date it has successfully completed five audits, in-line with IATA's two-year audit cycle, to renew its place on the IOSA registry. During the latest inspection Gulf Air satisfied more than 900 IOSA standards in eight operational areas, including the organization and management system, flight operations, operational control and flight dispatch, aircraft engineering and maintenance, cabin operations, ground handling operations, cargo operations and security management.

Gulf Air's Acting Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Maher Salman Al Musallam commented, "We are extremely proud to have satisfied all of IATA's rigorous safety requirements to maintain IOSA registration. The IOSA standards exceed the already stringent regulatory requirements that we have to meet. Gulf Air prides itself on operating to the highest global safety standards and levels of international aviation safety practices; giving our customers the reassurance our main priority has consistently been safety. We are constantly looking to raise the bar in terms of our safety standards and renewal of the IOSA registration is just one of many elements that demonstrate the airline's on-going commitment to ensuring its operations are in-line with strict international safety requirements and that we remain at the forefront of safety developments."

Five IOSA auditors spent five days reviewing Gulf Air's operational and maintenance practices, ensuring that the airline continues to meet all of the requirements of this comprehensive global standard.

Gulf Air Senior Manager Operations Quality Assurance Captain Donald D. Broadfoot, commented, "Gulf Air's Quality Assurance Departments continuously review and appraise internal operational processes to ensure they conform to all regulatory requirements in addition to industry best practices. One of the ways this is achieved is through the biennial IOSA audit. Between these audits, rigorous quality control processes and self-auditing ensures conformity with the IOSA Standards and Recommended Practices. The next development of the IOSA program, currently being introduced by IATA, involves such on-going monitoring in what is known as Enhanced-IOSA.  We fully endorse this new initiative and believe that it will further improve the high safety record in the aviation industry."

-Ends- 

About Gulf Air
Founded in 1950, Gulf Air is the proud national carrier of the Kingdom of Bahrain. As a pioneering airline in the Middle East region with over sixty years of experience and expertise in flying people across continents, Gulf Air is today one of the most powerful brands and a name to reckon with in the global aviation industry.

One of the prime objectives of Gulf Air is to connect Bahrain to the Middle East countries and the rest of the world. As such the airline currently operates the largest network in the Middle East with non-stop flights while providing seamless onward connections to other international destinations. The airline's current network stretches from Europe to Asia, connecting 32 cities in 21 countries, with a fleet of 26 aircraft. 

In tune with the Kingdom's economic blue print, 'Vision 2030', Gulf Air's strategy is to build an efficient, commercially sustainable and dynamic airline that effectively serves the people and the economy of Bahrain and represents the Kingdom on the world stage. Reflecting the needs and aspirations of its customers, the strategy focuses on three core areas: a targeted, more focused international network; a superior, more consistent product; and a modern, more efficient fleet that will optimize value. Gulf Air's goal reflects a commitment to the latest aviation technology complemented by the hallmark Arabian hospitality for which the airline is well known.   

Gulf Air was the official sponsor of the 2013 Formula One Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix.

For more information please visit www.gulfair.com

For media enquiries, please contact:
Katherine Kaczynska
Senior Manager Corporate Communications
Gulf Air Tel: +973 17338416 - +973 36500292
Email: katherine.kaczynska@gulfair.com

© Press Release 2013