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Bahrain International Airport

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Bahrain International Airport

مطار البحرين الدولي

Matar al-Bahrayn ad-Dowaly
Summary
Airport typePublic
OperatorCivil Aviation Affairs
ServesBahrain
LocationAl Muharraq
Elevation AMSL6 ft / 2 m
Coordinates26°16′15″N 050°38′01″E / 26.27083°N 50.63361°E / 26.27083; 50.63361
WebsiteBahrainAirport.com
Map
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
12L/30R 12,979 3,956 Asphalt
12R/30L 8,302 2,530 Asphalt

Bahrain International Airport (IATA: BAH, ICAO: OBBI) (Arabic: مطار البحرين الدولي) is an international airport located in Muharraq, an island on the northern tip of Bahrain, about 7 km (4 miles) northeastern the centre of the capital Manama. It is the primary hub for Gulf Air and Bahrain Air.

A BD113m ($300 million) expansion and refurbishment program was launched in the third quarter of 2006 which will see the creation of a new multi-storey car park and retail complex adjacent to the main terminal building. The expansion also includes a full resurfacing of the main runway, a new perimeter fence, state-of-the-art security systems and additional aircraft parking bays. Runway 12R/30L is mostly used as a taxiway.

The airport has a three star rating from Skytrax's airport grading exercise along with seven other airports.[1]

History

The first scheduled commercial airliner to arrive in Bahrain, in 1932, was a flight from London to Delhi operated on a Handley Page H.P.42 aircraft named "Hannibal." The H.P.42 carried only 24 passengers, and the flight from London had taken several days of flying at speeds of 100 miles per hour. Through this regularly scheduled sevice, Bahrain became established as the Gulf's first international airport.[2]

Time Lines

  • In 1936, the operation of H.P.42 aircraft from London to India via Bahrain had been stepped up to a twice-weekly frequency.
  • In 1937, Bahrain saw the regular service of the Empire Sea planes. The landing stripe of these giants on the water was from where the marina club is located in Mina Salman today.
File:Bahrain Int Airport 1960.jpg
Bahrain International Airport in 1960
  • From the 1950s, BOAC operated several services a week through Bahrain. These included weekly services to Karachi, Singapore, Hong Kong and three times a week to Sydney.
  • 1950 was a significant year not only for Muharraq as an international airport, but also for Bahrain's own commercial aviation history. In this year, a new local airline, Gulf Aviation Company, was formed - the forerunner of Gulf Air. The company started with only one aircraft, a second-hand Anson Mark II, which was used initially on services to Dhahran. But within two years, the fleet had expanded to four de Havilland aircraft and DC-3s for use on a steadily growing network in the Gulf. This established Bahrain as an international stage. It was easily the most modern and advanced airport in the Gulf with a good runway, control tower, lighting, communication facilities and even restaurants. It began to attract other carriers such as Middle East Airlines, Air India, Air Ceylon and Iran Air - mostly operating Dakotas.
File:Bah airport pre1967.jpg
Bahrain International Airport in 1967
  • In December 1961, a new passenger terminal opened at the airport.
  • In December 1971, the airport opened new passenger facilities, which included a wide area that could accommodate four 747 aircraft.
  • In 1976, the airport marked another significant first with the inauguration of supersonic flights, which saw the start up of regular BA Concorde service between London and Bahrain.
  • In the 1980s and 1990s, major facelifts took place and all the major airline companies made the airport a destination.
  • In 1994, a US$ 100 million terminal was inaugurated.

Statistics

Statistics of Bahrain Int. Airport

Year Passengers Cargo handled (tonnes) Cargo handled (1000s lbs) Aircraft movements
1998 3,434,812 NA NA NA
1999 3,950,000 NA NA NA
2000 3,975,000 NA NA NA
2001 3,991,623 156 466 344 944 60 490
2002 4,147,105 180 823 398 642 61 965
2003 4,296,979 237 922 524 522 69 493
2004 5,200,000 301 906 665 581 72 530
2005 5,581,503 334 832 738 170 73 891
2006 6,114,638 320 492 706 556 74 182

Airlines and destinations

The following airlines fly to Bahrain International Airport:

Cargo Airlines

References

  1. ^ "Airport Star Ranking - 3 Star Airports". Skytrax. 2007. Retrieved 2007-03-30.
  2. ^ http://www.bahrainairport.com/bia/history.htm
  3. ^ http://www.telegraphindia.com/1090310/jsp/calcutta/story_10651499.jsp
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