Bahrain International Airport gets global recognition

Manama

The Daily Tribune - www.newsofbahrain.com

Bahrain International Airport (BIA) became the latest airport in the Middle East to receive Airport Health Accreditation from Airports Council International (ACI) World, Bahrain Airport Company (BAC) announced.

This recognition from the global aviation organisation acknowledges BAC’s achievements in safeguarding the wellbeing of passengers and staff during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

ACI’s accreditation programme provides airports with an assessment of how aligned their health measures are with ACI Aviation Business Restart and Recovery guidelines, International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Council Aviation Restart Task Force (CART) recommendations, and industry best practices. Areas of assessment for accreditation include cleaning and disinfection, physical distancing, staff protection, physical layout, passenger communications, and passenger facilities.

BAC Chief Executive Officer, Mohamed Yousif Al Binfalah said: “This achievement does not belong to BAC alone but it is a stark recognition of the team efforts and dedication of all our partners at the airport. I would like to thank the National Medical Taskforce for Combating COVID-19 for its vital support in implementing BIA’s precautionary measures, Bahrain Civil Aviation Affairs, our airlines partners our passengers for diligently following the regulations and for BAC team members for consistently upholding our high safety standards. By continuing to work together, we can ensure that traveling is recovered in a safe and confident manner..”

Mr. Al Binfalah added: “BAC took a proactive approach from the onset of the pandemic, introducing a range of precautionary measures to minimise the impact of the pandemic at airport facilities and protect public health. These will remain in place at the new Passenger Terminal, enabling BAC to deliver and facilitate a hassle-free airport experience replete with comfort, connections, and character. Some of the measures include frequently sterilizing and disinfecting the airport, installing hand sanitizer dispensers throughout the terminal, enforcing social distancing, and ensuring that personal protective equipment such as face masks and gloves are available for both passengers and staff alike.”

Mr. Al Binfalah noted that the resumption and growth of passenger traffic are among BAC’s top priorities. He emphasised that this process has to be harmonized and carefully coordinated across various industry authorities. With a growing number of airports enrolling in the ACI World Airport Health Accreditation program, we believe that the global aviation industry will be in a better position to recover faster.

ACI World Director General Luis Felipe de Oliveira said: “To restore passengers’ trust in travel, we must achieve a harmonised approach to health measures across the globe. This is particularly important for airports that predominantly serve international traffic, like BIA, which is a formidable passenger and cargo transportation hub in the region and beyond. The Airport Health Accreditation shows travelers that BIA is part of a growing group of leading global airports that have put effective health measures in place.”

ACI represents the world’s airports and their collective interests. It promotes professional excellence in airport management and operations and works closely with prominent aviation organisations such as ICAO and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) to develop standards, policies, and recommended practices.