Gulf Air opened bookings in early August 2026 for direct flights between Bahrain International Airport (BAH) and Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL), with the first service departing September 29, 2026, per Gulf Air's own website and AeroRoutes. The Bahrain flag carrier will operate up to five times weekly on a nonstop basis through October 7, reducing to three weekly from October 8. From October 25, the service transitions to a daily schedule operating via Singapore Changi Airport. The nonstop phase uses Boeing 787-9 aircraft.
Gulf Air CEO Martin Gauss tied the route launch directly to the Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix 2026, which was relocated to Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia and is scheduled for October 2-4. Formula 1 had not raced in Malaysia since 2017. Per TTN Worldwide, Gauss stated: "Gulf Air is proud to connect fans and travellers to this world-class event through our new direct service to Kuala Lumpur."
The carrier confirmed that after the race period the Kuala Lumpur route will remain a permanent part of its network, providing year-round connectivity between Bahrain, Malaysia, and beyond via the subsequent Singapore routing. Gulf Air had previously served Kuala Lumpur before suspending the route, making this a resumption of a pairing with established demand.
Round-trip economy fares from launch start at BHD 403 (approximately USD 1,071) per ConnectingTravel.
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Things to do at each end of the route
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