Bahrain government has awarded contracts worth $1.1 billion for the construction of a brand new terminal at the kingdom's airport, which on completion will be able to handle nearly 14 million passengers, said a report.

These include five agreements signed as part of the airport modernisation programme (AMP) on the sidelines of Bahrain International Air Show (BIAS) 2016 at Sakhir Airbase on Saturday, reported the Bahrain News Agency (BNA).

Announcing the deal, Kamal bin Ahmed Mohammed, the Minister of Transportation and Telecommunications (MTT), said the project for the construction of the new passenger terminal building, the main services building and aircraft bay has been awarded to a joint venture between UAE builder Arabtec and TAV Construction from Turkey.  

The contract for the passenger airbridges has been awarded to Chinese group CIMC, while the deal for the baggage handling system was clinched by Dutch specialist Vanderlande, stated the minister in a joint press conference with Mohammed AlBinfalah, CEO of Bahrain Airport Company.

The other key awards include the contract with US-based L3 Communications for supply of security screening equipment and Finnish group Kone for its horizontal and vertical transfer systems, he added.

Besides this, the government also signed a contract with Setec from France for the design of an MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul) facility which, when built, will contribute to massive job creation for Bahrainis, the minister was quoted as saying in the BNA report.

On the AMP, Mohammed said it was one of the most important strategic projects for Bahrain, as the airport serves all economic sectors and is a gateway for the kingdom to the rest of the world.

"Once completed, it will increase the airport’s capacity to 14 million passengers annually. I would like to thank His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, HRH Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, Prime Minister, and HRH Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince, for the continued support and follow up for this important project," he added.

Albinfalah pointed out that the record contracts signed at BIAS 2016 were a historical milestone in the progress of the AMP and signifies an important step in maintaining Bahrain’s strong position in the civil aviation sector.

According to him, the AMP is the largest infrastructure project for the Bahrain International Airport in over 30 years and is being executed in line with the highest standards of safety, security, technology and environmental standards.

"In order to keep up with the rapid pace of progress in the aviation industry, MTT in co-operation with BAC has put in place this ambitious programme which will be implemented in phases in order to enhance the infrastructure and services in the sector," stated Albinfalah.

"We aim to complete the project in 2019, and are expecting a three-fold increase in direct flights and numbers of airline using the new passenger terminal building as a result," he added.