Gulf Air's new Bahrain–Kuala Lumpur route takes off in F1 race week

Gulf Air's new direct service between Bahrain and Kuala Lumpur starts today, Tuesday 29 September. The timing is deliberate. The Bahraini national carrier is the title sponsor of the Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix, which moves to Sepang International Circuit this weekend (2–4 October), and the route puts KLIA on Gulf Air's network just in time for race week.

The airline says Kuala Lumpur is a permanent destination, so the route carries on after the race. Here is what Malaysian travellers and F1 visitors need to know.

The race-week schedule

According to the published schedule reported by Wego and aviation site AeroRoutes, the first phase runs from 29 September to 23 October:

• Flight GF158 leaves Bahrain late at night (around 23:20–23:35 Bahrain time) and lands in Kuala Lumpur around midday the next day, after roughly seven and a half hours in the air.
• Flight GF159 makes the return trip, leaving KLIA in the evening and arriving in Bahrain around midnight.
• There are up to five flights a week at first, dropping to three a week from 8 October.

Gulf Air flies the route with the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, the largest aircraft type in its fleet. Figures reported by Media Selangor put the fleet at 10 Boeing 787s and 34 Airbus A320-family jets.

Daily via Singapore from late October

The nonstop flights are only the first phase. From 25 October, the service is due to become a daily one-stop route through Singapore:

• GF165 leaves Bahrain at 23:55, stops in Singapore and reaches Kuala Lumpur at 15:30 the following afternoon.
• GF166 leaves KLIA at 17:35, stops in Singapore and gets back to Bahrain at 23:25.

This means travellers from Kuala Lumpur will get a daily link to the Gulf after the Grand Prix, though with a longer journey time than the nonstop race-week flights.

Why it matters for Sepang

This weekend's race only came to Malaysia because Bahrain could not host its April Grand Prix at Sakhir because of the conflict in the Middle East. Malaysia, Bahrain, Formula 1 and the FIA then agreed to move the Bahrain race to Sepang for 2026.

That makes this Grand Prix unusual: it is Bahrain's race, staged in Malaysia. Bahraini officials, organising staff and hundreds of marshals are working alongside the Sepang International Circuit (SIC) team this week. A direct air link helps with that, and it also gives fans in Bahrain and the wider Gulf a straightforward way to reach the race.

When bookings opened in August, Gulf Air chief executive Martin Gauss said the airline was proud to connect fans and travellers to the event through the new direct service to Kuala Lumpur.

Fares at a glance

Wego sampled fares on 28 September and found one-way race-week tickets from about US$448, nonstop return fares from about US$718 for mid-October dates, and returns via Singapore from about US$758 for late October to early November. Fares change often, so check the airline's own channels before booking.

Key takeaways

• Gulf Air's direct Bahrain–Kuala Lumpur flights start on 29 September, the week of the Bahrain Grand Prix at Sepang.
• Boeing 787-9 aircraft operate up to five nonstop flights a week, dropping to three a week from 8 October.
• From 25 October the route becomes a daily one-stop service via Singapore.
• The airline says Kuala Lumpur will stay on its network permanently.

FAQ

When does the first Gulf Air flight arrive in Kuala Lumpur? The service starts on 29 September. GF158 leaves Bahrain late at night and arrives at KLIA around midday the next day, based on the published schedule.

Is the Kuala Lumpur route only for the Grand Prix? No. Gulf Air has said Kuala Lumpur is a permanent destination. From 25 October it becomes a daily service with a stop in Singapore.

Why is Gulf Air linked to the Sepang race? Gulf Air is the title sponsor of the Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix, which is being held at Sepang this year after the original Bahrain date could not go ahead.

Sources: Wego Travel Blog, AeroRoutes, Media Selangor, Zawya, The Star