As good as it’s been for other Middle East based airlines, Gulf Air, the carrier co-owned by Bahrain and Oman, has struggled mightily.  And things just got worse.  Their CEO, who just joined 4 months ago, resigned yesterday amid the news the Bahrain’s government has launched a criminal investigation of the airline.  No word on what they’re investigating.  The airline’s chairman, who seems a bit feisty (in a good way) said, "Guys this is a public prosecution investigation; I want everybody to shut up."  You don’t hear that too often.

Gulf Air is reportedly losing $1 million a day.

(Thanks to View from the Wing…)

An odd one on an otherwise slow news day:

Lufthansa has pulled out of its daily flights from Frankfurt to Accra, Ghana, after 40 years because they feel they’re being forced to pay a bribe to Ghana’s fledgling national airlines.  Ghana’s government had required Lufthansa to pay a "tax" that would be used to help finance the new national carrier, Ghana Airways.  Lufthansa refused to pay what basically amounts to a bribe, and so they have cancelled all service to the country.  Now, Ghana’s president is outraged, blaming the airline for stranding Ghana’s citizens in Germany.  If they didn’t pay the fee, Ghana’s government would only allow twice weekly flights.  Lufthansa refused.  Bravo to Lufthansa for not putting up with this crap.

Slate has published the worst travel article ever written.  Under the headline, "The Worst Airline in the World" it publishes what is basically a list of complaints about delays on TAM suffered by the writer during a recent vacation in Brazil.  While I loathe articles that use a handful of delays to indict an airline’s competency or safety, this goes even further, somehow tying together the poor writer’s delay with the deaths of 200 people on a TAM flight to Sao Paulo, suggesting that similar reasons caused both situations. 

That a reputable (and usually quite good) publication like Slate would actually publish this pile of crap is just pathetic.  Please, go read it (see link above).  You’ll love where she complains about the quality of the hotel the airline puts her in, then makes a nice leap suggesting that because the hotel’s infrastructure was weak, that the whole transportation and tourism infrastructure must be weak, and hence 200 people died. 

This is a vile pile of crap, and I can’t believe Slate paid someone for it.  Blech.

A man died yesterday hiding in the wheel well of a United flight from Taiwan to San Francisco, the 59th person to die attempting this in the past 50 years or so.  Officials say the man died either from asphyxiation (not much oxygen at 37,000 feet) or froze to death (-40 below).  He was wearing several jackets, but that wasn’t nearly enough.  incredibly, 16 people have done this and survived, most recently in 2004 when someone stowed away on a flight from Dominican Republic to Miami.

Abu Dhabi-based Etihad has announced that it will drop flights to Sri Lanka beginning in September because tourism has dropped so significantly since civil war-related violence has picked up again.  I really only mention this because it because it’s actually really sad.  The country suffered civil war for years, finally becoming peaceful in 2002 or so.  I somehow convinced my wife to go in 2003, and found it to be an absolutely beautiful, untouched place.  The tsunami came along and killed a ton of people and, to add insult to injury, civil war violence started up again, killing any hopes of tourists coming back in any numbers.  It’s a pathetic situation that doesn’t get discussed much in this part of the world, but there it is…

Virgin American began selling seats today for its launch on August 8th.  You can see the full schedule in the link, but basically they’ll be flying from JFK to San Francisco and LA; between San Francisco and LA & Vegas; and between Washington and San Fran & LA.  Transcon fares start at $139 from New York in coach up to $389 in first.  Not groundbreaking, but not bad.  First class is a good deal, and I’d expect the majors to match.  Always good to have more competition, isn’t it?

Italy’s Economy Minister (that would be Minister of the Economy, not a low priced Minister) said that if Alitalia cannot be sold, it will be liquidated.  Hard to believe that such a venerable carrier will never fly again, but it’s certainly looking that way after a 7 month auction closed with no buyers.  If you’d like to own an airline that will never make any money, you should call the folks in Rome.

Frommers has a couple of great deals this week:

Foreign Independent Tours is offering a 5 day air/hotel package departing New York to Cairo, Egypt for $999.  Airfare alone is usually more than $800.  Departures are only December 1-12.

Air Tahiti Nui is offering a $575 round trip fare from Los Angeles to Paris for fall and winter travel.  The impressive part is that it’s also good during Christmas/New Year’s week.  Bon Voyage!

A Mesa Airlines pilot is accused of stealing another passenger’s iPod as they passed through a security checkpoint in Jacksonville, Florida.  The pilot said that he assumed the iPod was abandoned (yeah right) and would’ve just been taken by checkpoint personnel.  Incredibly, the pilot told police his flight was 15 minutes late and they let him fly on.

A 15 year old and a 10 year old travelling on their own from Dothan, Alabama to Fairbanks (through Salt Lake City) on Delta found themselves stranded in Salt Lake City for 20 hours after they missed their connection.  Delta gave the kids hotel vouchers and basically told them to go fend for themselves.  Their family is blaming Delta, which deserves some of the blame, but the airline said the kids were not registered at unaccompanied minors and did not know they needed assistance.  But, still…