The first construction package on the project to expand the existing terminal at Bahrain International airport is expected to be tendered by March 2012.

‘’We anticipate that the first package will be tendered within the next eight to nine months,’’ says Karim Yazbek, vice-president for Middle East operations, Hill International, which is providing project management services on the project.

After commencement of construction work, the project is expected to take two years to complete.

Bahrain Airport Company (Bac) recently awarded Dar al-Handasah a BD4.5m ($11.9m) design contract for the expansion project (MEED 28:6:11).

The expansion of the existing terminal will boost the capacity to 15 million passengers a year from the current 9 million. The work will involve building new retail facilities, four or five new contact gates, nine remote gates and 40 more check-in counters.

Hill International was awarded a four-year contract to provide project management services for the airport expansion project in May 2009. Yazbek said that Bahrain was still moving forward with plans to build a new terminal to further expand the airport’s capacity, despite the project having suffered from a number of delays.

‘’Work is currently ongoing on the concept design for the new terminal. The conceptual design is about 70 per cent complete, and after that is finished we can launch the detailed design for the new terminal project,’’ says Yazbek.