Almost three million passengers passed through Bahrain International Airport (BIA) during the first half of the year, as reported by our sister publication Gulf Daily News.
Passenger traffic increased gradually at the airport despite facing a setback due to the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, said Bahrain Airport Company (BAC) chief executive Mohamed Al Binfalah.
After losing more than 75 per cent of usual traffic in 2020 due to the pandemic, the airport witnessed a recovery in 2021, and now has recorded almost 3 million passengers during the first six months.
“We expect to serve approximately 6.5m passengers by the end of the year and hope to be back to serving more than 9 million by the end of 2023,” Al Binfalah said.
The airport has achieved Airports Council International (ACI) Airport Customer Experience Accreditation Level 2, which underscores the efforts of BAC to deliver an exceptional customer experience.
“Our partners play a vital role in building on BIA’s reputation as a friendly and efficient airport, offering the world a gateway to the kingdom that makes our country proud,” said Al Binfalah.
“However, we must work harder to further exceed expectations.
“This requires a concerted effort from all of us now that we are seeing a return to normalcy and physical meetings, and I am confident we can achieve these goals with teamwork and continued determination.”
The committee also discussed updates to the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Council’s international Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs), which address national civil aviation responses to public health emergencies and the security and inspection of travel and related health documents.
There has been a staggering 984 per cent increase in the number of tourists arriving in Bahrain in the first quarter of this year, compared to the same period last year.
The number of tourists arriving through BIA also rose by 147 per cent.