Bahrain airport passenger numbers top 4mln

Bahrain airport passenger numbers top 4mln

MORE than four million passengers travelled through Bahrain International Airport (BIA) in the first six months of the year, signalling a significant recovery in the kingdom’s aviation sector.

A joint statement from Bahrain Airport Company (BAC), the operator and manager of BIA, and the national carrier Gulf Air, says both recorded a steady increase in passengers and air traffic compared to the same period last year.

The airport welcomed 4,098,582 passengers during the first six months of the year, up 43.2 per cent from the same period in 2022.

Air traffic movements – a measure of the activity of an airport – rose 19.8pc to 44,160 from 36,869 in H1 2022.

An air traffic movement (ATM) is a landing or take-off of an aircraft operating a scheduled or non-scheduled service.

Cargo tonnage handled by BIA reached 177,070 during the six-month period, a 6.34pc drop from 189,060 in the same period last year.

The decline was likely due to the ongoing global supply chain disruptions.

Meanwhile, Gulf Air saw a significant increase in passenger traffic during H1 2023, with a 39.7pc increase over H1 2022 – 2,798,131, up from 2,001,890 passengers.

The national carrier also handled 38,300 tonnes of cargo during H1 2023.

“Our H1 growth comes on the back