Vanderlande has been commissioned to supply a state-of-the-art baggage handling system for Bahrain International Airport (BIA). The agreement is for the design, manufacture and installation of a system capable of processing 4,700 bags per hour.
The announcement was issued by the Kingdom of Bahrain's Ministry of Transportation and Telecommunications (MTT), in cooperation with Bahrain Airport Company (BAC), and is part of a major airport overhaul, the Airport Modernisation Program (AMP). The project is expected to revitalise much of the potential in Bahrain and the northern gulf region's aviation industry.
The system will feature an early bag store with the capacity for at least 600 items of luggage and eight reclaim belts. Upon completion, it will help to elevate BIA's infrastructure and services, and increase the airport's capacity to 14 million passengers a year.
The contract was signed at the Bahrain International Airshow 2016, which was held at Sakhir Air Base. The ceremony was attended by His Excellency Engineer, Kamal bin Ahmed Mohammed, the minister of transportation and telecommunications, the BAC's CEO, Mohamed Yousif Al-Binfalah, and Vanderlande's CEO, Govert Hamers.
Bahrain Airport Company CEO Mr Mohamed Yousif Al-Binfalah said "We look forward to work hand in hand with Vanderlande to deliver a state-of-the-art system which should fulfill our vision to create an exceptional passenger experience."
Govert Hamers added: "We are delighted that Vanderlande has been successful in securing this prestigious contract with BIA. As a reliable partner for the MTT and BAC, we are looking forward to delivering our innovative systems, intelligent software and lifecycle services to satisfy the airport's ongoing requirements."
