Bahrain International Airport (BIA), and Gulf Air announced that Bahrain’s aviation sector saw significant growth during the first half of 2023.
The airport and airline both recorded a steady increase in passengers and air traffic compared to the same period last year, reflecting the success of their respective strategies and the ongoing recovery of the global aviation industry.
Over the past six months, Gulf Air welcomed 2,798,131 passengers, a 39.7% spike compared to 2,001,890 in 2022, and handled 38300 tons of cargo, and Meanwhile, BIA welcomed 4,098,582 passengers, up 43.2% from 2,862,976 last year, and recorded 44,160 air traffic movements, a 19.8% increase from 36,869 in 2022.
Cargo tonnage handled reached 177,070, a 6.34% drop from 189,060 the previous year.
Captain Waleed Al Alawi, Gulf Air CEO said that the H1 growth comes on the back of efforts to further develop our extensive network by adding 7 new destinations and resuming popular routes as part of our successful summer campaign. Served by our modern fleet of 34 aircraft, our routes to Alexandria and Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt; Goa, India; Mykonos, Greece; Nice, France; Bodrum, Turkey; and Malaga, Spain, to name a few, have proven incredibly popular.
“We look forward to building on our performance, cementing Bahrain’s position as a leading tourism destination, and showcasing the Kingdom’s renowned hospitality to the world,” he added.
Gulf Air also received industry acclaim for its business acumen. Working in collaboration with Castlelake, a global alternative investment firm, the national carrier was presented with the ‘Innovative Deal of the Year’ award at the Air Finance Journal Global Awards. The award was for a deal secured by the two parties to finance the purchase of 10 Airbus A321neo aircraft through Pre-Delivery Payment (PDP) financing.
Mohamed Yousif Al Binfalah, BAC Chief Executive Officer affirmed the importance of delivering excellent customer service to enhance air connectivity and route development.
“This year, we have welcomed 6 new carriers, including SCAT Airlines, and Azerbaijan Airlines and added 8 new destinations, demonstrating our commitment to connecting Bahrain with the world. Moreover, we have received many prestigious global aviation industry recognitions in 2023, which reflect the hard work and professionalism of our team.” He added.
