$200m expansion project in pipeline

Bahrain International Airport is to undergo a $200 million (BD75.6 million) expansion which would double its capacity and facilities within three to four years, it was revealed.

The new projects will include a new satellite passenger terminal, additional air bridges, a multi-storey car park, shopping and leisure complex, as well as a new dedicated air cargo and logistics area, said Civil Aviation Affairs (CAA) Under-Secretary Captain Abdulra-hman Al Gaoud.
‘All of these will continue to keep our airport as one of the most modern and state-of-the-art international airports in the Middle East,’ he told the opening of MEED’s first Middle East Airport Projects conference.
The two-day event at the Gulf Hotel is being held under the patronage of CAA.
The number of air bridges at Bahrain International Airport will be increased from seven to 15, and the check-in desks from 44 to 100, as part of the expansion, Capt Al Gaoud said.
The baggage handling capacity, which has been doubled from 1,500 to 3,000 pieces per hour, will double again to 6,000 when the expansion project is completed, he said. The baggage delivery units will also double from five to 10. A new control tower, an upgraded second emergency runway and new airline lounges utilising the latest technologies are due for completion early next year, he said.