BD126m flight into the future
29 November 2006
BD126 million expansion of Bahrain International Airport geared up for take-off yesterday. The massive project, scheduled to start in 2008 and be completed in 2010, will allow the airport to handle up to 15m passengers a year. It will make the airport one of the most futuristic in the region, said Deputy Prime Minister and Transportation Minister Shaikh Ali bin Khalifa Al Khalifa.
He was speaking at a contract signing for the project at a ceremony at Movenpick Hotel.
The expansion will more than double the size of the terminal building, increase the number of aircraft stands from 46 to 64 and double the number of bridges from seven to 14.
The BD126 million expansion of Bahrain International Airport will make it one of the most modern in the region, it was declared yesterday. It will more than double the terminal floor area, it was revealed. The expansion also will make the airport one of the most user-friendly in the region, said Deputy Prime Minister and Transportation Minister Shaikh Ali bin Khalifa Al Khalifa.
Works and Housing Minister Fahmi Al Jowder signed the agreement for state-of-the-art designs with Jacobs Gibb in association with HOK Architects and the local Bahrain consulting firm Mohammed Salahuddin Consulting Engineering Bureau (MSCEB).
The design contract value is BD12,946,451.
Civil Aviation Affairs (CAA) Under-Secretary Captain Abdulrahman Al Gaoud said the expansion, when completed in 2010, would increase the airport capacity to handle up to 12m to 15m passengers a year.
"The current airport has been designed to handle three million passengers a year," he told a Press conference.
"However, our airport has experienced an unprecedented growth, an average 15 per cent a year and the number of passengers handled by the airport will reach seven million by the end of the year."
Captain Al Gaoud said more expansion projects would be undertaken in future to increase the capacity to 22m passengers and later to 45m.
He said the current expansion programme would double the number of air bridges and check-in counters.
"The airport will be equipped to handle 64 aircraft at any given time," said Capt Al Gaoud.
"The number of aircraft stands will increase from 46, including seven air bridges, to 64, including 14 air bridges.
"The baggage handling capacity will increase from 3,000 bags per hour to 15,000 bags. The check-in counters will increase from 40 to 80."
Works and Housing Ministry Public Works Affairs Under-Secretary Nayef Al Kalali said the project involved the expansion of the existing terminal building, with an additional 125,000sqm floor area.
The current floor area is 51,000sqm.
"The expansion will cater to the increase in passenger and aircraft traffic up to the year 2015, with passenger figures expected to grow rapidly and reach around 12m -15m per annum by that time," said Mr Al Kalali.
Besides an additional terminal floor area, the expansion will have seven additional gates, serviced by state-of-the-art air bridges, giving a total of 14 gates with air bridges, as well as 11 additional remote parking stands, he added.
The seven additional gates will comprise stands to accommodate five numbers of Code E type aircraft which are the Airbus A330 or A340 and Boeing 747 or 777, one Code C type aircraft which are the A320 and Boeing 737 as well as one Code F, new large aircraft (NLA).
Besides the new Code F stand, an existing parking bay will also be refurbished to accommodate Code F aircrafts providing a total of two stands at the expanded terminal to cater to the new A380 super-sized aircrafts.
The construction approach will be designed to permit the existing terminal operations to continue until the expansions are completed, said Mr Al Kalali.
The majority of worksites are landside, providing safer construction and minimal disruption of airside operations.
Mr Al Kalali said the construction cost of the project would be BD113,209,908.
"The project is expected to take 49 months to complete with an expected design period of 15 months and a construction period of 24 months and a period set aside for tendering in between," he added.
"The project is expected to be commissioned for operations some time in 2010."
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