Bahrain’s Gulf Air said Monday that it would give one free ticket to passengers who were stranded because of Iceland’s volcanic ash cloud.   CEO Samer Majali said the ticket will be equal in value to the original ticket held by the passenger.  “This is a very unusual situation, which is beyond our control and we fully understand how frustrating it is for our passengers.” Majali said.   Gulf Air said it has cancelled about 32 flights since April 15th when many European and UK airports were forced to close.

Mr. Majali said Gulf Air is doing everything possible to make sure affected passengers are comfortable, and keeping them up-to-date on the latest information via all possible communication channels.   He said the airline has set up an emergency task force to meet passengers stranded in Bahrain at their hotels and explain their options while they wait for European airspace to open.