Bahrain International Airport (BIA)’s new Passenger Terminal Building will become the first airport in the Middle East to operate with Enterprise LTE (eLTE) technology as its mission-critical system, Bahrain Airport Company (BAC) has announced.

According to a statement from BAC, the advanced system is designed to deliver real-time connectivity that enhances passengers' travel experience and the efficiency of operations for the airport’s partners and meets demand for high volumes of data.

The announcement comes on the back of a key technical agreement between BAC and Batelco, signed by BAC chief executive officer, Mohamed Yousif Al Binfalah, and Batelco Enterprise general manager, Abderrahman Mounir, in the presence of the Minister of Transportation & Telecommunications and BAC chairman, Kamal bin Ahmed Mohammed and Batelco chairman Shaikh Abdullah bin Khalifa Al Khalifa.

“Partnering with Batelco to implement this state-of-the-art telecommunications system at the new terminal brings us another step closer to realising the kingdom’s digital transformation goals and our objective of providing our partners at the airport with modern and reliable mission-critical communication solutions," Al Binfalah said.

"Moreover, with this new private radio system and enhanced connectivity and coverage throughout BIA, we can improve efficiency, enhance safety and security, and meet our partners’ growing expectations for a more seamless airport operational experience.”

The new eLTE system provided by Batelco will improve BIA’s emergency management services and operations at the new terminal, and the airport at large, while affording several benefits such as last-mile data connectivity, fast emergency CCTV deployment, HD voice and video dispatching capabilities over smart handheld devices.

In line with the agreement, Batelco will also provide high-speed connectivity that enables the use of voice, data, and wi-fi services at the airport. This includes a fully redundant setup, which will ensure high availability and quality service to all airport tenants and passengers.

“We are delighted to be working with Bahrain Airport Company to provide eLTE for the new Passenger Terminal Building, and in doing so, achieving another first for Bahrain in the region," Abderrahman Mounir said.

"We are committed for being a key stakeholder in elevating the services at Bahrain International Airport. We are also very pleased to enhance the travel experience of passengers by delivering high-speed connectivity for voice and data. Fulfilling the requirements of the business sector and consumers in Bahrain is at the core of our strategy,” he said. - TradeArabia News Service