BIA hits record 640,000 seat capacity this month

TDT | Manama

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The Bahrain International Airport (BIA) has reached an unprecedented operational capacity this month, with an estimated 640,000 departing seats, surpassing the previous record set in August 2018, when capacity reached 625,600 seats. The August 2024 figure represents a 9% increase compared to the same month last year and a 2% increase from July 2024. According to a report published on Aviation Week, this remarkable growth reflects the ongoing expansion of airlines operating at BIA.

Flight frequencies

he launch of new routes and increased flight frequencies to various destinations. These new routes include flights to cities like Guangzhou, Geneva, Munich, Rhodes, and Shanghai. Additionally, flights to Iraq have resumed after a four-year hiatus, and services to key destinations like Doha, Muscat, Manchester, Milan, and Rome have been enhanced. Alongside Gulf Air, which continues to play a pivotal role in boosting BIA’s capacity, the airport has welcomed new airlines such as Pakistan’s Jinnah Fly, which has launched flights from Islamabad, and Saudi Arabia’s Flynas, which will commence operations on a new route from Madinah in September.

Strength

This surge in operational capacity underscores the strength of Bahrain’s aviation sector. The Gulf Air Group, encompassing Gulf Air and BIA, has recorded robust growth in the first half of the year BIA reported a 13.2% increase in passenger numbers during this period, reaching 4.6 million passengers, with air traffic rising by 9.4% to over 48,000 movements.