Bahrain Airport Company (Bac) expects to invite prequalified companies to bid for the expansion of the passenger terminal at Bahrain International airport in the first quarter of 2012.

The contract covers the main works of the expansion, including extending and upgrading of the terminal building itself, the construction of new passenger lounges and baggage handling systems.

Companies had a deadline of 12 October to submit prequalification documents.

“We received 55 prequalification documents that are under evaluation,” says a Bac source.

The planned expansion will increase the airport’s capacity to 12 million passengers a year from the current 4 million. In April 2010, France’s Aeroports de Paris Ingenierie (Adpi) won the contract to prepare the masterplan for the 30-year expansion of Bahrain airport.

The expansion of the terminal is part of Bac’s $4.7bn development of the airport. Bac also has future plans to build two new terminals at the airport. However, expansion of the existing terminal remains the focus.

In January, local Mena Aerospace signed a deal with Bac to build and operate a hangar complex at Bahrain airport (MEED 19:1:11). Mena Aerospace will invest in the development of the hangar, which will be used for both private and general aviation. The hangar will be located at the north-west end of the airport. The first phase involves building a 26,262 square metre facility, consisting of the hangar, private taxiway and apron, in addition to office and workshop areas.