GULF AIR is to lose the Emirate of Abu Dhabi as a shareholder over the coming six months, leaving just two owners of the Middle Eastern carrier: The Kingdom of Bahrain and the Sultanate of Oman.
The announcement hardly comes as a surprise with the Emirate launching its own airline, Etihad Airways, in November 2003. Qatar, the fourth founding partner, left in May 2002, also due to the state owning its own national airline, Qatar Airways.
Gulf Air President and CEO James Hogan said there would be no change to the carrier's "core approach to business or to its ongoing business strategy." The governments of Bahrain and Oman remain as shareholders and have confirmed their commitment to the airline.
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