Bahrain Airport Company will tender the design contract for two new terminals at the airport in the first quarter of 2010.

The company also hopes to invite contractors to bid on the first construction contract in the first half of 2010, according to a source at the company.

Both terminals are part of the company’s $4.7bn expansion plans for Bahrain International airport.

Phase one will include the expansion of the existing passenger terminal, the construction of a second passenger terminal and the expansion of the passenger concourse. The first phase is scheduled to be completed in 2012.

A rail link will connect both terminals. Phase one will also include a multi-floor car park and the airport city which is being built south of the existing terminal.

Phase two will involve the construction of terminal two and further expansion of the existing terminal.

Bahrain Airport Company has also reserved a 9.6-square-kilometre site to the northwest of the existing airport to develop a new terminal building, runway and taxi-way.

However, the future plans depend on passenger growth at the airport.

Bahrain International airport currently has capacity to handle six million passengers a year. The expansion will increase capacity at the existing terminal to 12 million passengers a year.

Terminal two will have capacity for an additional 15 million people a year.

In May, US-based Hill International won a four-year contract to provide project management services for the project and has the option to extend it by another four years (MEED 28:5:09).