Arab News, Thursday, Mar 02, 2023 | Sha'ban 10, 1444
Bahrain airport’s passenger traffic spikes to 6.9m in 2022
Bahrain:
Bahrain International Airport welcomed 6.9 million
passengers in 2022, marking an increase of 125 percent from 3 million in 2021,
the Bahrain News Agency reported.
However, the number of passengers received during
2022 is still 29 percent less than the pre-pandemic traffic of 9.6 million in
2019.
Bahrain Airport Co.’s Airport Facilitation
Committee on Wednesday disclosed these numbers at a meeting to review the
operational aspects of the facility, which checked passengers, crew, and baggage
movement at the BIA.
The committee discussed various topics, including
the airport’s annual performance figures, which saw aircraft traffic movements
surge to 82,000 in 2022 from 51,000 in 2021, a 60 percent surge.
The cargo tonnage increased by 17 percent to
379,000 tons in 2022 from 324,000 tons in 2021.
“We can all be proud of how well our airport
performed last year as we came closer to reaching pre-pandemic figures. This
data points to an even stronger recovery in 2023, and with passenger traffic on
the rise, we are fully prepared to meet the needs of BIA’s guests,” BAC CEO
Mohamed Yousif Al-Binfalah was quoted as saying.
The meeting also included presentations on
aviation security, fire prevention, and the upcoming full-scale emergency
exercise, which will test the Airport Emergency Plan and assess the
capabilities, readiness, and effectiveness of the facility’s emergency and
rescue services in dealing with potential incidents.
Last year, the airport was awarded the coveted ACI
Airport Customer Experience Accreditation Level 2, underscoring BAC’s efforts to
deliver a smooth and seamless experience to travelers and visitors.