BIA to improve services with operation centre

Muharraq : Bahrain Airport Company (BAC), the operator and managing body of Bahrain International Airport (BIA), inaugurated an advanced Airport Operations Centre which promises improved flight tracking and availability, and reduced departure delays. 

The new centre streamlines communications between the airport and its partners, allowing each party to understand the other’s operational preferences and constraints. 

This is expected to facilitate the sharing of accurate and timely information on the progress of flights to and from the BIA in order to overcome flight scheduling challenges. 

It also improves the predictability of key milestones during the turnaround process of departure flights and maximises the use of airport resources and infrastructure to improve passenger experience. 

Minister of Transportation and Telecommunications, Kamal bin Ahmed Mohammed paid an inspection visit to the new centre, accompanied by BAC Chief Executive Officer, Mohamed Yousif Al Binfalah and BAC Chief Airport Operations Officer, Michael Hohenberger. 

During the visit, the Minister said, “We are elevating all aspects of operations at the airport to meet higher global standards. The new centre will help unlock new levels of performance that had previously been unattainable. This is directly in line with the objectives of the Airport Modernisation Programme (AMP), and on a larger scale will help the airline industry achieve future results aligned with Bahrain’s Economic Vision 2030.”

BAC Chief Executive Officer, Mohamed Yousif Al Binfalah said, “The Airport Operations Centre will bring about markedly improved coordination of operations. 

It will also mean more efficient interactions between the various airport stakeholders as the collaboration will allow for more accurate planning and improvements in a number of elements in daily airport operations, all of which are in line with BAC’s strategy to prepare for the transfer to the new passenger terminal building currently under construction as part of the AMP.”

BAC has also established an emergency operations centre (EOC) as a central command and control facility responsible for strategic direction and operational decision-making, as well as carrying out emergency preparedness. 

It will collect, gather and analyse data, make decisions that protect life and property, and maintain the continuity of the airport’s operations, leaving tactical decisions to lower commands.