Bahrain Int’l welcomes BAWC’s B747-8F

by Payload Asia

Bahrain International Airport (BIA) recently welcomed IAG Cargo, through its brand British Airways World Cargo who began a weekly service through Bahrain with its new B747-8F. “This is great news for our airport, adding to many other memorable occasions experienced at the region’s first airport. Cargo volumes are a lead indicator of business growth and having BA’s B747- 8F landing in Bahrain on its weekly route is a great sign of confidence,” said Gordon Dewar, Bahrain Airport Company CEO.

Bahrain International Airport (BIA) is a key hub airport in the MENA region, providing a gateway to the Northern Gulf. The airport is a major hub for both Gulf Air and Bahrain Air operating hundreds of flights weekly. Together they account for 56 per cent of the total weekly operations. Some 39 other international airlines including Cathay Pacific, KLM, United and Lufthansa operate around 460 services per week to a total of 60 destinations.

Jude Winstanley, senior VP for IAG Cargo said: “IAG Cargo now
has a full contingent of Boeing 747-8 Freighters, which have immediately been incorporated into our global schedule. The new aircraft provides increased capacity and reliability for customers as
well as an expanded network of freighter routes. We are pleased to start the 747-8F Middle East stop offs in Bahrain International Airport. We have been operating services to Bahrain for the past
five years to meet customer demand. It is an important market for cargo and we are committed to serving our growing client base in the region.

BIA caters for nine cargo carriers who represent 15 per cent of total air traffic movement in Bahrain. In addition to being the fastest growing cargo hub in the region with a number of international carriers the Bahrain International Airport is also a Middle East Regional Distribution Centre, the airport said. BIA is also a designated “super-hub” for DHL’s worldwide network whose  services include significant operations to support the reconstruction of Afghanistan and Iraq. The airport is a major regional hub for distribution by air and surface including trans-causeway trucking services to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates. This accounts for over three million tonnes of cargo crossing the causeway annually.