Bahrain’s new $1.1 billion terminal to open on January 28

Bahrain International Airport today announced that its long awaited new $1.1 billion terminal will open for business on January 28.

According to Bahrain Airport Company (BAC), moving operations to the new state-of-the-art facility is a major step towards achieving the Kingdom’s ambitious Economic Vision 2030.

The vision is based on diversification and sustainability goals and developing Bahrain’s position as a financial, cultural, and aviation centre in the region.

The terminal is the key project of Bahrain’s Airport Modernization Program, which is designed to enhance the airport’s strategic position, stimulate national economic growth, and drive investment into the Kingdom, in line with Bahrain’s Economic Vision 2030.

Bahrain’s Minister of Transportation & Telecommunications and BAC chairman, His Excellency Kamal bin Ahmed Mohammed, is confident that the launch of the new terminal will be a major contributor to trade, supporting the growth tourism and travel for decades to come.

He also expressed his confidence that co-ordination between airport stakeholders will contribute to the smooth transition from the current airport to the new facility.

Spanning 210,000sqm, the new terminal is four times larger than the existing airport and will increase BIA’s capacity to 14 million passengers a year.

Its facilities include eight baggage reclaim belts; 104 check-in counters; 36 passport control offices; a total of 20 e-gates for arrivals and departures; a 4,780sqm Departures Hall; 6,600sqm Arrivals Hall and 10,002sqm of retail space.

The duty-free area at the new terminal is three times larger than that of the current airport, offering 30 leading brands in Bahrain for the first time.

The new terminal also features the Bahrain Airport Hotel & Spa, which will offer transit passengers a variety of accommodation types and facilities.

BAC promises that the airport’s clinic will ensure that a dedicated team of healthcare professionals will be on hand around the clock to provide the best possible medical services to visitors.

The new terminal will have two lounges, one for Gulf Air business-class passengers, and ‘The Pearl’, which will be operated by Hala Bahrain and serve first and business-class passengers of other airlines.