A BD1.8 billion expansion plan has been announced with the aim of making Bahrain International Airport one of the best in the world.
Two new terminals are planned with piling work on Terminal Two due to begin early next year for completion in 2012 and Terminal 1A expected to become operational a year later.
The existing terminal building will be demolished in 2014 and replaced.
Bahrain Airport Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of Bahrain Mumtalakat Holdings, the investment arm of the kingdom’s government, took over operation and management of the airport in January last year.
Chief executive Dr Osama Alali said the expansion, which will be ongoing over 30 years, will eventually create 110 aircraft stands, including 87 with contact gates. There are currently 25 stands, including seven air bridges.
There has already been substantial investment in the airport to create 17 new remote aircraft parking bays and install automatic baggage screening facilities which are expected to be operational before the December holiday period.
By the time the whole development is completed in 2038 Bahrain International Airport will be able to handle 27 million passengers per year – three times its current capacity.
In the year to date 6,682,000 passengers have travelled through the airport up two per cent on last year.
And though there has been a decrease in traffic to Europe and Asia, origin and destination traffic has actually grown by six per cent in the year to date.