THE massive expansion of Bahrain International Airport will see more than 15 million passengers use the facility by 2013, from the current 10 million. At a meeting towards the end of last year HH Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince of Bahrain and Economic Development Board chairman ordered the speeding up of the facility’s revamp to better reflect the kingdom’s development.
Prince Salman said a world-class Bahrain International Airport is crucial as it offers the first impression of the kingdom to visitors and added that technical standards and services to passengers and airlines must be further enhanced, with equal investment opportunities for the private sector.
The project to further develop the airport aims to strengthen Bahrain’s position in the aviation sector and is consistent with the kingdom’s Economic Vision 2030.
The first phase of expansion will be completed in two years, according to Civil Aviation Affairs under-secretary Captain Abdulrahman Al Gaoud, with work on the project’s preliminary designs already completed and engineering designs now being drawn up.
Bahrain Airport Company had earlier announced the signing of Aeroports de Paris Ingenierie (ADPI) to put together the airport development plan and infrastructure concept design.
The first phase of the redevelopment involves short-term solutions to improve the interim capacity of the existing terminal including upgrades to the current facilities such as the check-in area, arrival.
The second phase will be a comprehensive long term expansion master plan which will start in parallel with phase one. It will address new terminal facilities, runway expansion, taxiway, aircraft maintenance hangers, cargo, general aviation and infrastructure.
Bahrain Airport Company CEO Gordon Dewar said: “We are committed to delivering our promise of creating a world-class global aviation hub that offers an unparalleled operating experience for our clients and tenants and a memorable travelling experience for our passengers.
The long term plan for Bahrain airport will see capacity rise to 28 million by 2030. The expansion programme includes construction of two new passenger terminals, one for VIP use, aprons, separate piers, a people mover system, car parking, road works and infrastructure.
there are also plans to develop an adjacent airport city including hotels, conference centres, retail and recreational facilities.
The Sita change
In order to handle the airport’s increasing communications demands, particularly as the airport continues to expand, Bahrain Airport Company chose Sita’s Professional Mobile Radio solution as part of a five-year, $3.2 million agreement.
Sita’s Professional Mobile Radio (PMR) solution provides voice and data communications for all Bahrain International Airport users through a single dedicated wireless network, which is designed to meet the airport’s mission-critical communications needs. Bahrain International Airport’s new digital PMR system can easily handle the airport’s high traffic load, supporting its mission-critical business. It also offers several other benefits in the areas of security, quality and additional features – while at the same time reducing the total cost of ownership.
The key reason to turn to Sita Professional Mobile Radio was the need for a tailored solution with high reliability features. The solution, used only by an airport’s tenants and agencies, is designed without any single point of failure and it can easily handle traffic peaks of 50 per cent above average traffic. The system also ensures enhanced security and involves a lower total cost of ownership (TCO). Other features include a wide range of call types, including push-to-talk calls, wide area group calls, multiple group calls, and private telephone calls, depending on their needs.