Gulf Air has revised its aircraft orders with Airbus and Boeing, worth a combined total of US$7.6 billion for 45 airplanes, in separate deals announced at the Bahrain International Airshow 2016.

Gulf Air will now take 12 A320neos and 17 A321neos from Airbus, as opposed to 10 A320neos and six A330-300s. The Bahraini flag carrier has also converted its order for 16 787-8s from Boeing to 16 787-9s. Deliveries are expected to start from the second quarter of 2018.

“As long-standing partners, Boeing and Airbus have understood the challenges faced by Gulf Air and embraced our future-looking strategy,” said Maher Salman Al Musallam, acting CEO of Gulf Air. “I am delighted that we have arrived at mutually agreeable solutions to restructure our previous orders with aircraft that are more fuel-efficient, modernized, reliable and which, at the same time, allow Gulf Air to operate our wide and narrowbody fleet at lower operating costs. This is in line with our mission to put the airline firmly on a path towards long-term commercial sustainability. These revised and consolidated orders are based on comprehensive current and future network studies and satisfy Gulf Air’s future network expansion plans and fleet requirement.”

Gulf Air operates an all-Airbus fleet of 16 A320s, six A321s and six A330-200s.