Bahrain begins operations from new airport passenger terminal

Cairo: A new passenger building has been put into operation at the Bahrain International Airport, with the latest terminal designed to accommodate up to 14 million travellers.

Bahraini Minister of Transport and Communications Kamal Bin Ahmed, who heads the Bahrain Airport Company, led a delegation on the first flight from the new terminal, marking its operation. The Gulf Air flight took off to Abu Dhabi, emphasising close ties between the kingdom and the UAE. “The launch of the new passenger building and operating its first flight to the UAE come to highlight the deep-rooted ties between the Kingdom of Bahrain and the UAE,” Kamal said.

The official praised the UAE’s support for financing strategic projects as part of the Gulf Development Programme.

The Abu Dhabi Fund for Development, he added, is a strategic partner in financing a project for upgrading the Bahrain International Airport, a major development scheme in the kingdom.

Bahrain’s new airport was originally due to open last March, but the inauguration was delayed due to the global coronavirus pandemic.

The ambitious project, one of the largest in Bahrain, features a passenger terminal, which is four times larger than the old facility.

It also includes a complex of central utilities, car parks, an expansive duty-free shopping area, two reception halls, an aviation building serving private jet owners, an aircraft refueling field and a building for rescue and firefighting services.