Passenger traffic at Bahrain International Airport during the first half of the year has witnessed significant growth, said Acting Undersecretary for Civil Aviation Affairs at the Ministry of Transportation, Ahmed Al-Nemah.
Total number of passengers in the period January-July 2014 increased by 6% compared to the same period in 2013, for a total of 4,586,281 passengers.
July 2014 itself witnessed a growth of 11% in passenger traffic compared to the previous year. In terms of other activity at the Airport, there was also an increase in aircraft movements by 6% during the first half of the year, while departing passengers increased by 9% during the same period compared to January- June 2013.
"These positive half-year results are very encouraging for Bahrain International Airport, and we are expecting further increases this year compared to previous years," said Al-Nemah.
"The increase is largely attributable to national carrier Gulf Air’s introduction of more frequent routes to key Middle East and GCC airports, as well the introduction of some new routes to numerous international destinations.
"In addition, several airlines have newly launched flights to Bahrain during the first half of the year, including Pegasus from the Republic of Turkey, and numerous international airlines have increased the number of their flights coming to Bahrain. We have also seen increasing numbers of passengers from Bahrain going to major international tourism destinations, which has led to the positive growth."
During the first half of the year, the Kingdom also hosted several international events, including the 3rd Bahrain International Airshow and the Gulf Air Grand Prix Formula One, both of which played a major role in attracting more visitors to Bahrain from around the world.
Al-Nemah predicted continued growth during the second half of 2014, with total passenger numbers expected to reach 8 million passengers by the end of the year.