Bahrain Airport Company hails success of 2018 Formula One Race

Bahrain Airport Company (BAC), the operator and managing body of Bahrain International Airport (BIA), announced the successful completion of all its travel and hospitality operations for the Formula One 2018 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix, which was held from 6th to 8th April at Bahrain International Circuit (BIC).

The airport had earlier undergone special preparations to welcome the large influx of international visitors, and to accommodate the requirements of the teams, visitors, and cargo arriving for the race, which is considered the most high-profile event in the Kingdom. Preparations were finalised through coordination committee meetings attended by senior representatives of BIC, Immigration and Passport Control, Customs Affairs, Airport Police from the Ministry of Interior (MoI), Gulf Air; Bahrain Airport Services (BAS), and Bahrain Limo.

 

BAC Chief Airport Operations Officer Mr. Michael Hohenberger said: “This marks another successful chapter in our Kingdom’s history of hosting the Formula One, and yet another triumph for BIC, which has succeeded every year in organising this important international event that has placed the Kingdom of Bahrain on the map of worldwide sports organisers. The whole world is now looking at us to deliver our usual level of professionalism and hospitality that mirrors the F1 prestige.

Having successfully hosted this race annually over the past 14 years proves the capabilities of young and ambitions Bahrainis in organising the biggest international sports events, and credit goes to all the officials at BIC for presenting this race at such an esteemed level. BIA has yet again proven to be an invaluable asset to the annual event, ensuring the safe arrival and departure of officials and drivers every year, thanks to its smooth and streamlined procedures. We are very happy with the results and look forward to many more years of success for the F1 and for Bahrain as a host.”

 

BAC also held high-level meetings on the sidelines of the F1, including one with Air India, the state-owned national carrier of India, to discuss and explore potential growth in the India market and explore potential cooperation between BIA and Air India. It also met with senior officials from Jolly Chic, a prominent China-based e-commerce player, in the hopes of establishing an even larger setup for the company in Bahrain, and providing travel routes to support their operations in and out of the Kingdom.

Mr. Hohenberger also met with Deloitte MCS Limited Vice Chairman, Mike Dobby and visited the McLaren pit at BIC. The potential collaborations are expected to further the airport’s contributions towards the economy, in line with Bahrain’s Economic Vision 2030.