OAG Travel News

Unlike some of its Gulf neighbours, the island sheikhdom doesn't see size as important. The attitude even extends to its crowded airport, says Jonathan Hart

2010 or soon after, the airport could find itself struggling to cope with the extra traffic," he says.

This year should see completion of the initial phase of expansion – the first since 1994 – including an extension to the existing passenger terminal, larger than the original shed that greeted passengers on the first international flight in 1932 but still compact in regional terms. Also underway are runway and perimeter improvements, more immigration desks and more air bridges, including two for the Airbus A380.

But right now, apart from a large tarpaulin, the only visible signs of completed expansion appears to comprise some extra shops and car parking spaces, claims Sanders.

In addition, no progress appears to have been made in eradicating a major passenger bugbear: the lack of bus transfers to and from the airport and Manama, a service that might help reduce complaints about rip-off taxis that refuse to use their meters or adhere to the officially fixed fare of BD5 (US$13). " It's true that the airport is otherwise cosy and relatively easy to use in contrast to, say, Dubai," adds Sanders, " particularly for first and business class passengers who have centralised check-in and lounge access. However, the authorities don't seem too worried about moving things up a gear or two to keep pace and that could prove a problem in future."

Home-based Gulf Air, with an estimated 60% of overall traffic, plus up to 40 other carriers, currently use an airport that bills itself as the aviation hub of the region. These include Bexair, which operates private business charters from the VIP Terminal.

There are duty-free outlets at this terminal as well as in the departures, arrivals and transit areas. Although acknowledged for their wide range of products and set to expand in departures, these shops are generally viewed by passengers as among the most expensive in the region.

BIA's three-phase expansion calls for doubling passenger handling capacity to 15 million by 2015, rising to 22 million by 2020. A point not to be overlooked is that freight is deemed as important as passengers at BIA, says Sanders. A new cargo complex will soon be in place to handle growth that has kept pace with or exceeded the double-digit rise in passenger numbers in recent years.

This, in turn, must be viewed in conjunction with completion of the Sheikh Khalif bin Salman shipping port, the state's third, and Bahrain's strategic position, principally its causeway to Saudi Arabia, plus a planned 45-km causeway to Doha – all signalling the state's potential as a logistics hub.

BIA, for example, with its big choice of airlines, is about an hour across the present causeway from Al Kohbar. Compare this with the same journey time from the Saudi city to the local King Fahd International Airport. In addition, the Saudi capital of Riyadh and Kuwait are each about four hours' drive away.
Small is beautiful may soon no longer apply at BIA.

Fast facts
At-a-glance guide
Location: Muharraq Island, 6.5km (4 miles) northeast of Manama
Transport links:  bus and taxi services run across the causeway to the main island, with a journey time of approximately 15 minutes to downtown Manama (taxis costing BD15/US$13)       
Annual passenger throughput:  7 million (approx)
Minimum connecting time: 60 minutes
Airlines: Gulf Air; Air Arabia; Air France, Air India; Bahrain Air; Bexair; British Airways; Cathay Pacific; Cyprus Airways; Egypt Air; Emirates; Etihad; Ethiopian; Indian Airlines; Iran Air; Iran Aseman; Jazeera Airways; Jet Airways; KLM; Kuwait Airways; Lufthansa; Monarch; Oman Air; PIA; Qatar Airways; Royal Jordanian; Saudi Airlines; SriLankan; Syrian Artab Airlines; Tunisair; Turkish Airlines; Yemen Airways
Executive lounges:  Gulf Air, Cathay Pacific and Dilmun (for Bahrain Air Services handled airlines); also VIP lounge
Facilities: priority check-in for First and Business Class passengers; Al Dana Business Centre; 19-room Transotel; post office; prayer room; art gallery; smoking room; clinic; various catering outlets including Sky Restaurant, Chilli's, a pizzeria and Costa Coffee; range of shops, including duty-free,
Banks/cashpoints: banks, bureau de change and ATMs located in both arrivals and departures
Airport hotels: Movenpick
Car rental desks: Avis, Budget, Continental, Easy, Elite, Enterprise, Europcar, Gulf, Hanco, Hertz, Oscar, National, Saudi Bahraini Transport, Thrifty

Website: www.bahrainairport.com