GULF Air is launching new flights from London Gatwick – the third UK airport for the airline.

Passengers flying between Gatwick and Bahrain currently have to stop en route, making the Gulf Air service the first direct flight between the two destinations when it launches.

From March 30, the Bahrain flag carrier will operate a thrice-weekly service.

Flights will depart every Wednesday, Friday and Sunday using Boeing 787-9 aircraft.

Services will depart Bahrain at 01.45am local time, before touching down in the UK at 6.55am.

Return flights will then leave Gatwick at 11.25am, arriving in the island country at 8pm.

Journeys take six hours and 35 minutes, with Sun Online Travel finding one-way fares from £332 per person.

Gulf Air’s twice-daily service from London Heathrow will continue to operate as usual.

Bahrain is an ideal winter sun destination for Brits, with temperatures rarely dipping below 23C even in the winter.

Most holidaymakers will stay in Manama, the country’s capital.

One of the country’s sites is Bahrain Fort (Qal’at al-Bahrain), a Unesco World Heritage Site.

The archaeological site showcases the country’s ancient history, with the fort dating back thousands of years.

Other sites include the Tree of Life, a mysterious 400-year-old tree thriving in the middle of the desert – despite having no apparent water source.

There’s also Muharraq Island, which is the second largest island in the archipelago of Bahrain.

The horseshoe-shaped island is home to the traditional Bahraini architecture and the UNESCO-listed Pearling Trail.

Other sites include Bahrain National Museum, Manama Souq and Al-Fateh Grand Mosque, one of the largest mosques in the world.

The new flight route is also launching just in time for the Bahrain Formula One.

This year’s race will be held on April 13 and will see drivers Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen compete for points in their hunt for another world championship title.

Last year, Gulf Air launched flights from London Heathrow and Manchester Airport to Singapore, with services stopping in Bahrain en route.

Flights will stopover in Bahrain, with stops lasting just under five hours according to the airline’s website.

The news comes after British Airways reversed plans to scrap its route from London Heathrow to Bahrain.

And the Sun’s resident flight attendant revealed exactly why Brits should visit Bahrain.

Meanwhile, Norse Airways has confirmed plans to start a new route from London Gatwick to Bangkok in Thailand.

A new London Gatwick to Cape Town route launched last year as well, starting from £499.

2