Bahrain Airport Company (BAC) prioritizes safety with regular runway maintenance

2024-06-20

Bahrain Airport Company (BAC), the operator and managing body of Bahrain International Airport (BIA), has successfully completed its second regular runway maintenance program, underscoring its continuous commitment to elevating safety measures across the airport operations, in adherence to the highest industry standards.

The runway maintenance program is conducted three times a year in compliance with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Annex 14, Bahrain Civil Aviation Authority regulation (CAR001), the Aerodrome Manual, and other ICAO standards and recommended practices. This maintenance program highlights BAC’s dedication to safety, business continuity, and the integration of preventative and corrective measures to avoid any disruption due to infrastructure unavailability.

Bahrain Airport Company (BAC) Chief Executive Officer, Mohamed Yousif AlBinfalah commented, “I would like to express my gratitude to our BAC facility management team, whose dedication round-the-clock support and hard work has led to keeping our airport operations running smoothly and securely. Keeping the runway in optimal condition is crucial for the airport safe and secured daily operations. At BAC, we are committed to continuously enhancing our safety measures to ensure the airport’s resilience and business continuity.”

The maintenance program is managed by a dedicated Bahraini team, which includes qualified engineers from the Airside and Landside Maintenance team who manage the entire operation. The planning for Airside Ground Lighting infrastructure is executed by a 20-member team of Airfield Ground Lighting technicians, working in four shifts.

BAC executes its runway maintenance program each time over a continuous period of 15 nights. During this period, the runway is closed for a brief span of two hours and 25 minutes to facilitate thorough maintenance works. The primary aim of these activities is to significantly enhance safety standards and provide safe aircraft movement surfaces.

During the runway maintenance program, on average, 114 personnel and 40 vehicles & equipment are deployed for maintenance. Civil activities are managed by Airside and Landside Maintenance (ALM) department, while BAC’s Airfield Ground Lighting (AGL) team handles lighting activities. The maintenance covers runways, taxiways, and strips, including tasks like rubber removal, asphalt patching, remarking, joint sealing, shoulder repairs, grading, and various lighting and signage maintenance.