Gulf Air, the national airline of Bahrain, has just appointed a new CEO. I’d say it’s a pretty brilliant pick…
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Industry veteran Martin Gauss becoming Gulf Air CEO
Gulf Air has announced that Martin Gauss will take over as CEO at the airline as of November 4, 2025. Gauss was CEO of airBaltic between 2011 and 2025, but was let go earlier this year, which came as a bit of a surprise to many. He’s a brilliant leader, and also a pilot, so I look forward to seeing what he has planned for the national airline of Bahrain.
Gauss will be replacing Jeffrey Goh, who has been CEO of the airline since 2023. Goh was the former CEO of Star Alliance, and I thought he did a good job leading the airline. I commend Gulf Air for continuing to hire smart, outside leaders.
Here’s what Gauss had to say about his new role at Gulf Air:
“I am honoured to join Gulf Air as CEO. The airline has a rich legacy as Bahrain’s national carrier, and I look forward to working with the team to build on this strong foundation. Together, we will continue Gulf Air’s transformation journey and enhance its competitiveness regionally and globally.”
Meanwhile here’s what Goh had to say about his three years at Gulf Air:
“It has been a great honour to lead Gulf Air Group during this pivotal phase of its journey. I am grateful to the Board, employees, and all our partners for their tremendous support during my tenure as Group CEO. Together, we faced exceptional challenges and advanced the Group’s transformation toward the future. Gulf Air Group has a proud legacy that positions it for continued growth and success.”
I’m curious what kind of transformation we see at Gulf Air
While Gulf Air may be an unknown carrier to many people nowadays, it has an incredible amount of history, as it used to be the biggest and most global airline in the Gulf region. The airline was founded in 1974, when Bahrain, Qatar, Abu Dhabi, and Oman, got together to invest in existing Bahraini airline Gulf Aviation, to create a flag carrier for the four states.
Suffice it to say that the dynamics in the region have changed, and that really started with Dubai launching Emirates in 1985, chipping away at Gulf Air’s market share and dominance. Of course we then also saw Qatar launch Qatar Airways, Abu Dhabi launch Etihad, and Oman launch Oman Air.
As that happened, Gulf Air’s importance in the region continued to shrink, as it struggled to compete with peers and innovate. The airline had an outdated fleet, and didn’t have a global route network.
However, the company has spent the past several years undergoing a major transformation, whereby the airline has modernized its fleet, opened a new terminal at its hub, and has focused on its core strengths. Now we’re seeing the airline launching New York (JFK) flights, greatly increasing its Boeing 787-9 fleet, and more.
The government has seemingly given the airline the mandate to grow profitably, which isn’t exactly easy, especially with the huge amount of competition in the region.
Purely as an industry observer, I’m very excited to see how Gauss leads the airline. One thing is for sure — he’s an incredibly innovative guy, and an out-of-the-box thinker. Just look at how airBaltic evolved under his leadership, with everything from a massive all-Airbus A220 fleet, to Starlink Wi-Fi, to robust wet lease operations to keep planes flying as a result of Russia’s airspace situation.
Bottom line
Gulf Air has appointed Martin Gauss as its new CEO, after he was let go at airBaltic earlier this year. Gauss is a smart and innovative leader, and a great pick to be at the helm of the airline. It’s not easy to be a smaller Gulf carrier, given what a competitive region it is, but I think Gauss is about as good of a candidate for this role as anyone.
What do you make of Gulf Air’s new CEO pick?
He is definitely the right man at the right place in the right moment. GF has a modern mixed fleet. Let’s not forget Bahrain enjoy one of the most beautiful, modern, customer friendly airports in the area. All the best to Mr. Gauss.
I’ve always said that GF would be a great fit for joining the Star Alliance, given (1) the group’s lack of an Arabic-speaking member other than the abysmal Egyptair, (2) GF’s niche-connector positioning — with competitor Oman Air having joined QR in Oneworld recently — and (3) former Star CEO Jeffrey Goh being GF’s CEO until now.
Gauss has done a simply incredible job at airBaltic, getting rid of its old 737 Classics and 757s...
I’ve always said that GF would be a great fit for joining the Star Alliance, given (1) the group’s lack of an Arabic-speaking member other than the abysmal Egyptair, (2) GF’s niche-connector positioning — with competitor Oman Air having joined QR in Oneworld recently — and (3) former Star CEO Jeffrey Goh being GF’s CEO until now.
Gauss has done a simply incredible job at airBaltic, getting rid of its old 737 Classics and 757s and moving to an all-A220 fleet, often leased out to other airlines. I’m excited to see what he does at GF, and I hope it includes more partnerships if not alliances.