Bahrain International Airport (BIA) reported a significant increase in passenger traffic during the Gulf Cup Tournament 2013 which is the biennial Football competition for the Arabian Gulf nations held between 4th and 18th January. More than 20,000 football fans have been registered at BIA during the period.
“We were pleased to greet this huge number of football fans at Bahrain International Airport, the airport was full of energy, not only by flocks of incoming fans, but by all employees at the airport as well,” Mohammad Yousif Albinfalah, CEO of Bahrain Airport Company (BAC) said.
Bahrain Airport Company organized a number of meetings with airport authorities and partners to accommodate the additional flights organized by a number of GCC countries for their national team’s football fans, reaching a total of 140 additional flights outside the schedule, 90 of which for the final match day on the 18th of January (both arriving and departing), which led to a dramatic increase in air traffic and passengers.
Bahrain Airport Company prepared for the busy Gulf Cup period with continued cooperation and coordination with partners to achieve the desired levels of service in all sections of Bahrain International Airport and provided a range of services to facilitate the needs of travelers and eventually make the travel experience convenient and pleasant.
“I would like to thank all the staff at Bahrain Airport Company, particularly those working in Airport Operations for a job well done in dealing with this extraordinary event and handling the pressure of the large numbers of travelers. Also it is important to thank our strategic partners which include the Ministry of Interior, represented by in the Directorate of airport security, Customs Affairs and the Nationality Passports and Residence Affairs, in addition to the Ministry of Transportation, represented by Civil Aviation Affairs and Bahrain Airport Services (BAS), all of whom have worked hard to make sure that all passengers had a safe and pleasant trip. I am proud to see such significant joint efforts that contribute to Bahrain International Airport’s overall performance and we look forward to serving passengers during upcoming national events,” Albinfalah added.