Bahrain Airport Company (BAC), the operator and managing body of Bahrain International Airport (BIA), has launched its annual Safety Week themed ‘Defensive Airside Driving’.
The launch ceremony was held under the patronage of Kamal bin Ahmed Mohammed, Minister of Transportation and Telecommunications and attended by BAC Chief Executive Officer, Mohamed Yousif Al Binfalah, BAC Chief Airport Operations Officer, Michael Hohenberger and Civil Aviation Affairs (CAA) representatives. 

The campaign, which targets BAC employees and contractors, aims to improve understanding of a range of issues, including airside driving safety rules and regulations, airside road systems and markings, safety measures when driving within close proximity to aircraft, and worksite cautionary measures.

In his opening speech, Al Binfalah said: "The success of our airport depends on many factors, not least of which are our vital Airside Operations functions, which are the focus of this campaign. Being able to prevent accidents and traffic violations ensures that stakeholders’ lives and property are protected. On the occasion of this week-long event, we reaffirm our commitment to providing the highest possible levels of safety at BIA."

"These assets and facilities make safety management at BIA a challenging prospect, with the progress of the Airport Modernisation Programme (AMP) adding new challenges every day," he explained. "The nature of our business demands that all levels of our organisation should be accountable for the delivery of this high level of safety."

In addition, Hohenberger said: "The objective of Aviation Safety is the prevention of incidents and accidents in the aviation industry. It is important in such a way that the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) dedicated a separate Annex for it. Published in September 2015, one of the mandatory actions for the contracting states was to establish a State Safety Programme, which has been implemented in Bahrain under the leadership of the CAA. One of the key elements of the new legislation was measuring safety through a Safety Performance System. One of the most desirable outcomes of this Safety Week would be that "Defensive Driving" reflects back to all participants and would be even be applied outside the airport boundaries."

To motivate airside staff at the BIA and increase awareness of the importance of safety, BAC honoured Abdulla AbuSaif, Taleb Ali, Yousif Abbas and Abdul Hussain at the ceremony for being committed to the company’s safety rules.

Safety is also an important component of the Operational Readiness and Airport Transfer (ORAT) programme, which is aimed at ensuring a smooth transition to the BIA’s new terminal. ORAT’s implementation was one of the measures taken as part of the $ 1.1 billion AMP, which aims to elevate all aspects of the airport experience and build its capacities significantly. 

BAC is the authority responsible for enhancing BIA and increasing the airport’s contribution to the local economy in line with Bahrain’s Economic Vision 2030. In its operational role, BAC is responsible for elevating the airport’s operations, infrastructure and services. This is set to improve BIA’s capabilities and cater to the growing number of passengers as well as the changing demands of stakeholders.