Manama: The nearly $1 billion expansion of Bahrain International Airport (BIA) is vital for the continued growth of the country’s aviation sector, an industry expert has said.
Air transport information technology and telecommunication services provider SITA’s Middle East, India and Africa president Hani El Assaad has called it a “timely and well-placed investment in new capacity” with passenger traffic at BIA growing to more than eight million passengers last year.
The expansion includes a new passenger terminal, 24 air bridges, new arrival and departure lounges and aprons, where planes are parked, unloaded and refuelled.
To be completed by early 2019, the expansion will increase the airport’s capacity to 14m passengers.
Transportation and Telecommunications Minister Kamal Ahmed announced earlier this month that seven major contracts under the project are to be awarded within the next eight weeks.
The upcoming contracts include main works and infrastructure, piling works, passenger loading bridges, baggage handling systems, horizontal and vertical passenger transport systems, information and communications technology (ICT) and security screening equipment.
SITA is in the running for at least one of the contracts and Mr El Assaad told the GDN that the company had partnered with close to 1,000 airports globally to provide technology that helps them “manage their operations more efficiently and develop a memorable experience for their passengers”.
“Our strength has been that we are the only ICT provider who can deliver an integrated, seamless airport management solution from check-in to security and boarding.
“SITA embraces and implements new technologies – including common-use in the cloud, business intelligence, near-field communications, and beacons – that make it easier to manage complex airport operations.
“Together with our many years of experience of local requirements in Bahrain, SITA has real value to offer in making the new airport facilities even more efficient and passenger friendly,” he added.
Mr El Assaad said SITA’s long-standing relationship with Bahrain dates back to 1972.
“Over the years we have worked with numerous key stakeholders in the aviation sector and remain a key partner to Gulf Air, Bahrain Airport Services and the government.
“Our understanding of the local market conditions together with our global presence has made us a reliable partner.
“We have grown with the aviation industry, providing technology solutions to new challenges and a fast-changing sector,” he added.
The increased investment in new aviation infrastructure together with the rapid growth of the Gulf carriers, which includes Gulf Air, he said led him to believe that the region will continue to lead global growth in passenger traffic.
“IATA’s latest passenger forecast shows that the Middle East will be one of the fastest growing regions in terms of passenger traffic, expanding 4.6 per cent a year on average to 2034.
“That means that passenger numbers are expected to double in the next 20 years.”
He said the company saw this growth as an opportunity to provide technology “helping the industry fully unlock its potential and further elevating the experience that passengers have come to expect from the region’s airlines and airports”.
Examples of this, said Mr El Assaad, were “beacon technology that allows airports to put real-time information at passengers’ fingertips or a baggage management system that enables an airline to track, trace, manage and predict the flow of bags across their network”.
avinash@gdn.com.bh
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