Gulf Air, the national carrier of Bahrain, expanded its network with the introduction of a new route from Bahrain to London Gatwick on March 30. This makes it the third UK route for the airline, complementing its existing services to Heathrow and Manchester. This addition increases Gulf Air's frequency to a record 22 weekly flights to the UK. The flights operate using Boeing 787-9s, maintaining a schedule intended to boost capacity during peak times at Bahrain's hub.
American Airlines also made waves by launching the first U.S. carrier-operated flights between Chicago O’Hare and Madrid on March 30. The daily service utilizing Boeing 787-8 aircraft will run until October. The service enhances American's connectivity to Europe from Chicago, adding to its partnership with Iberia in the oneworld alliance.
Virgin Atlantic, the UK's second largest long-haul airline, introduced two new routes from Heathrow on March 30. The airline launched a daily service to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in collaboration with Saudia and British Airways, and resumed flights to Toronto, Canada, offering daily services during the summer season and four weekly flights in the winter.