APA Issue 1, 2021
WELCOME TO THE FUTURE Bahrain Airport Company CEO, Mohamed Yousif Al-Binfalah, tells Joe Bates more about what passengers can expect from the airport’s new state-of-the-art terminal.
B
ahrain International Airport (BIA) celebrated a major milestone on January 28 when its eagerly awaited new terminal opened for business.
The new state-of-the-art facility is the crowning jewel of a massive and comprehensive Airport Modernization
Program (AMP) designed to elevate BIA’s infrastructure, facilities and services – effectively transforming it into a world-class boutique airport and a key driver of national economic growth. The $1.1 billion project is in line with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 and aims to cement Bahrain’s reputation as a leading financial, cultural and aviation hub in the region. Spanning 210,000sqm, the impressive new facility is four times larger than the airport’s old terminal and will increase BIA’s capacity to 14 million passengers a year. Its facilities include a 6,600sqm Arrivals Hall and a 4,780sqm Departures Hall; 104 check-in desks; 36 passport control offices; 22 e-gates designed to ensure the rapid processing of passengers; eight baggage reclaim belts; and 10,002sqm of retail space which incorporates a duty free area that is three times larger than in the old terminal. The terminal also has its own hotel and spa for transit passengers and an airport clinic where a dedicated team of healthcare professionals are on hand around-the-clock to provide medical services to visitors. Fittingly, the first flight to operate out of the new facility was a Gulf Air flight to Abu Dhabi with His Excellency, the
14
