BIA adds SITA technology to respond to changing travel demands due to Covid-19

Published: Tuesday, February 16, 2021

Bahrain International Airport’s (BIA) newly opened Passenger Terminal is better prepared to respond to the changing demands of travel during the COVID-19 pandemic due to SITA technology.

The ultra-modern facility positions BIA as the most advanced boutique airport in the Gulf, increasing its capacity to 14 million passengers per year.

A key focus for Bahrain Airport Company (BAC), the airport’s operator and managing body, was to optimize the passenger experience and operations to quickly recover from the pandemic through 2021 and beyond.

Using SITA’s Operations at Airports portfolio, the airport benefits from real-time insights, improved stakeholder collaboration, and increased agility to optimize operations. The solution includes SITA’s Flight Info Displays Systems (FIDS), providing a dynamic platform for communicating important information and managing the passenger flow.

SITA is also providing Flex, its advanced cloud-based passenger processing solution. Flex allows airlines and the airport to develop new cloud-native applications for passengers and airport workers that transform the passenger experience and create new revenue opportunities. Flex will be delivered with SITA Smart Path kiosks enabling a low-touch mobile and biometric-enabled check-in experience that combats COVID-19 by reducing the passengers’ and staff’s risk of contracting the virus.

The SITA solution also includes a baggage reconciliation system to help manage the delivery of passengers’ bags end to end.

Roger Nakouzi, vice president sales, SITA, said: “We’re excited to reach this important milestone with Bahrain International Airport, despite the challenges of COVID-19. Thanks to new SITA technology, Bahrain International Airport can leap forward and make operations resilient, agile, and safer for all passengers. The implementation allows for deeper integration of Smart Path throughout the airport and further installation of automated systems, future-proofing the airport for decades to come.”

The Airport Modernization Program (AMP) is the largest investment in Bahrain’s aviation sector for more than 20 years and will usher in a new era for air transport in the kingdom.