Gulf International A330 300

Sometime during the third quarter of 1991, Gulf International began to search for potential candidates to begin replacing the aging fleet of Douglas DC-10s and Lockheed L-1011s; many of which were approaching 20 years in operation. With Boeing, they had already setted for the 767-300ER, while the airline's inclusion in the development of the 777 ensured the airline would have a successor in place not just for the trijets but also, in a somewhat forward-thinking way, a successor for the 747s when they eventually retire. In the search for a type to compliment and/or backup 767/777 operations, Gulf looked to the McDonnell Douglas MD-11 and the Airbus A330. Gulf was initially interested in purchasing the A300 when Airbus brought the aircraft on a promotional tour of North America in 1973, but due to financial problems arising from the Oil Crisis, the order never eventuated. Despite a big push by McDonnell Douglas to stay with the brand and purchase the MD-11, in the end Gulf went with Airbus, ordering 21 A330-300s to be delivered from March 1994.

The majority of the A330-300 fleet was based in Miami and New Orleans, beginning its Gulf service by flying most of the cities' Latin American services and providing additional capacity on transatlantic services to Europe and North Africa, complimenting existing 747 (later 777) services. A330 ops in Houston began in 1998 followed by Tampa and Los Angeles the following year; by 2000, all mainline services to Latin America (with the exception of those from San Antonio, Birmingham and Jackson) were operated by A330s. The role of the A330 expanded in 2001 with the introduction of the A330-200. With a range greater than its larger sister, the -200 flew to destinations not already served by their larger, american sisters: Between May 2002 and September 2005, New routes between New Orleans, Miami and East Africa opened, as well as those from Houston to the South Pacific and Central Asia. In Los Angeles, the A330 mainly operates trans-pacific services to secondary cities in East Asia and to the Pacific Islands.

The A330 continues to be an essential component of Gulf's longhaul fleet; even with the introduction of both the 787-9 and the A350 in 2015.

Airbus A330-300, L'esprit de la Rue Bourbon, N3412T.

Delivered to Gulf International, March 7, 1994.
Retired, June 11, 2007.
Stored at Southern California Logistics Airport; Victorville, CA, June 30, 2007.