Bahrain International Airports (BIA) new passenger terminal is set to launch operations on schedule, it has been revealed.
Speaking to a panel of global aviation experts in the UK, a Bahrain Airport Company (BAC) delegation of young professionals has announced that preparations are underway for the airports transition to the new Passenger Terminal Building, a Bahrain News Agency (BNA) report said.
Close to 60% of work has been completed on the $1.1 billion passenger terminal, and the first phase is expected to open in the third quarter of 2019, local Bahraini media has said.
The ORAT World Summit 2018 was held in London from June 26 to 29 and provided a platform for airport operators to share insights on newly completed airport and terminal expansion projects around the world. More than 60 aviation professionals from 10 countries attended the event, which also featured a number of workshops by global ORAT experts.
“Transferring airport operations to the new Passenger Terminal Building is a critical success factor for the whole of the Airport Modernisation Programme and BAC is taking all necessary steps to ensure a smooth transition, said Mohamed Yousif Al Binfalah, BACs chief executive officer.
The summit provided an excellent opportunity for the BAC participants to learn valuable lessons from leading airport operators across Asia, the Middle East, Europe and the US who have successfully completed airport expansion and development projects.”
BACs Operations Readiness and Airport Transfer (ORAT) platform is streamlining the airports transition to the new Passenger Terminal Building, the report said. It explained that it helps with coordination amongst multiple parties and ensures that all strategic readiness initiatives are implemented as planned.
It added that the process of turning a newly constructed building into a fully functioning and operational terminal was one that needed to be carefully managed. Therefore, in order to ensure preparations are being implemented as planned, the National ORAT Steering Committee, which was formed to operate the New Passenger Terminal Building at BIA, has been holding several meetings to address key issues.
Once construction is completed, the terminal building will undergo a complete evaluation and operational testing to measure efficiency and readiness of operations ahead of its official opening. Fraport AG Frankfurt Airport Services Worldwide, which specialises in inaugurating airport infrastructure projects, is providing ORAT consultancy services for the New Passenger Terminal Building, the report added.
All phases of the project are expected to be completed by June 23, 2020.
