Bahrain ahead in implementing IATA initiatives
Bahrain International Airport (BIA) is set to receive 8.5 million passengers by year-end making it one the high yield years in BIA history, a senior official at Civil Aviation Affairs Bahrain said.
Ahmed Nemat, Assistant Undersecretary for Aviation Services, in his opening remarks at the opening of a one-day regional workshop titled 'Simplifying the business' conducted by IATA in co-operation with Civil Aviation Affairs Bahrain said this year Bahrain airport would receive record passengers.
He said that under the directives of the Deputy Prime Minister Shaikh Ali Bin Khalifa Al Khalifa CAA has implemented the latest international initiatives being adopted by the airport industry which have resulted in a significant growth in all areas of activities at the Bahrain International Airport.
Talking about the passenger growth he said that the Bahrain Airport would receive a record over eight million passengers by the year end compared with 6.8 million in 2007. "This growth trends are in line with IATA's five year projection of MENA region's passenger growth of 15 per cent compared with 5 per cent in the rest of the world. The region's projection for 2008 is set by IATA at 15.3 per cent and during the first four months BIA had witnessed a major growth with passenger reaching almost 2.8 million, an increase of 26 per cent over 2007. By year end the projection for passenger growth at the BIA is set at 8.5 million, making it one of the busiest airports in the region. Highlighting the salient features of regional workshops on Bar Coded Boarding Passes (BCBP) and on Common Use of Self Service (CUSS) said that joint effort of CAA and IATA had brought together many experts and aviation industry players.
He said that Bahrain was ahead of other countries in facilitating the airlines in implementing the five initiatives of IATA.
Phillipe Bruyere, programme director, simplifying business at International Air Transport Association (IATA) on the sidelines of the IATA workshops said: "The global aviation industry can save over $7 billion a year if it implements the five projects aimed at streamlining and simplifying the check-in systems at the airports." He said that aviation industry has become one of the major drivers of growth in the MENA region. He said that IATA has launched five initiatives aimed at simplifying the business at the airports.
According IATA official 95 per cent of the airports world-wide are capable to implement the latest trends framed by IATA in this regard. The implementation of five pillars of IATA, he said, will bring huge benefits to both airlines and end-users in addition to saving $7 billion to the industry itself.
Highlighting the salient features of e-ticketing initiative, he said that in the month of April over 91 per cent e-tickets were issued by all carriers in the MENA region. He said: "We are optimistic about the preparedness and commitment of this region to implement the IATA initiatives which at end is good for the industry."
He said that at least seven airports in MENA were in position to implement the all major initiatives of IATA of simplifying business. "We have two model airports in Jordan Aqaba and Amman where passengers can utilise these services by using automated kiosks and other check-in systems. We are keen to see more airports to switch over to this next generation ticketing system."
By Mahmood Rafique Business Correspondent
© Bahrain Tribune 2008
