NEW WINGS SET TO FLAP

Bahrain will start work of its new airport by 2024. The location has been earmarked and it will be off shore, said Mohamed Yousif Al-Binfalah, CEO, Bahrain Airport Company.

He was speaking at the MEED Bahrain Infrastructure and Finance Forum 2015 held under the patronage of Minister of Finance Shaikh Ahmed bin Mohammed  Al  Khalifa.

While answering questions regarding the annual traffic passenger traffic flow through the Bahrain airport and the capacity expansion required to match the passenger traffic growth, the CEO said that last year, 8.12 million passengers passed through the terminal. “This year it is expected to hit 8.7 million passengers, a figure, which is more than double the actual capacity of the airport.”

At this rate of growth, 10 percent per year, even the current Airport modernization undertaken will not be sufficient to meet the demand.

“Our airport modernization programme may not be able to match the jump in traffic, this is probably the best-bad-news for us,” he said and added: “Competitive position of the airport has to be maintained, for which we can’t wait. And we are looking at a future airport.”

Al-Binfalah added that as the Bahrain airspace is quite restricted, the probable sites for the new airport are quite restricted and an off shore site has been identified for the same. “Hence, it will require heavy investments to undertake works such as reclamation. This year we will kick start the planning process and we will get an idea of what will be required.”

The expansion of the current airport, which is planned to be completed by 2019, will increase the capacity of the terminal to 14 million.

Speaking to DT news, he said:  “We have very limited space in the airport. We are currently serving double the originally planned capacity. We are losing the competitive advantage compared to other countries in the region. So  to reposition ourselves, we need to expand our facilities. The current area doesn’t allow room for much maneuvering.”

“Enabling work for the Airport modernization programme has started now and by November the site will be ready for construction activities,” he added.  Maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO), Super gate, fire station and a few other facilities will be developed this year.

“Master plan of the expansion will be completed by second quarter of this year and then we will start issuing tenders for different projects under the modernisation programme,” Al-Binfalah informed.

In 2018, the phase one of the passenger terminal will be completed. The expansion of the airport will follow a liner design and will ensure the minimum-time from entry to exit for the passengers. Total length of the terminal building will be one kilometer.

“To develop the Kingdom into an aviation hub, the Bahrain Airport company will build logistic and MRO facilities and will release new tenders soon in this regard,” the CEO added.