Bahrain airport traffic tops 4.46 million in H1 2025 as arrivals and departures near balance | World News
TL;DR:
Bahrain Airport handled over 4.46 million passengers in the first six months of 2025, with arrivals and departures almost evenly split.- While transit traffic declined after Q1, flight movements (48,747) and airspace overflights (262,839) remained strong.
- The airport processed 192,073 tonnes of cargo and mail, with March seeing the highest shipment activity and June the lowest.
Bahrain International Airport welcomed 4,462,365 passengers in the first six months of 2025, according to the Ministry of Transportation and Telecommunications as mentioned by News of Bahrain. The figure includes arrivals, departures, and transit passengers, reflecting Bahrain’s growing role as a regional air travel hub. Arrivals and departures were nearly balanced, with 2,223,641 incoming travellers and 2,254,924 outgoing passengers recorded between January and June. Another 15,800 passengers used Bahrain as a transit point, with the highest transit volume seen in Q1.
Monthly Passenger Traffic Trends
- January kicked off the year strong with 812,284 passengers, the highest monthly figure in the half-year.
- Numbers dipped to 594,824 in March, before rebounding to 808,695 in April and ending June at 780,731.
- Transit passenger numbers, however, saw a noticeable decline post-Q1:
- January: 4,243
- February: 4,285
- March: 4,264
- April: 853
- May: 681
- June: 1,474
Aircraft movements and airspace activity
Flight activity remained robust during the same period, with 48,747 aircraft movements (arrivals and departures combined). In addition, 262,839 aircraft overflew Bahraini airspace, demonstrating the kingdom’s pivotal air navigation role in the region. The highest number of overflights was in February (48,101), while the lowest was recorded in June (40,436).
Cargo and mail movement
Bahrain International Airport also managed 192,073 tonnes of cargo and mail, covering inbound, outbound, and transit shipments.
- In March, the airport recorded:
- 14,668 inbound shipments
- 9,605 outbound
- 11,371 transiting through
- The lowest outgoing cargo figure was noted in June, at just 7,518 shipments.
Oversight and Regulation
All flight operations and airspace activities fall under the supervision of Civil Aviation Affairs, which is responsible for:
- Regulating air safety
- Issuing operational licences
- Managing weather forecasting systems
- Investigating air accidents
Bahrain International Airport’s mid-year figures for 2025 reflect a steady rebound in travel demand and cargo operations, despite seasonal dips in certain areas like transit traffic. The near-equal balance of arrivals and departures suggests a healthy flow of both outbound and inbound tourism and business travel. While overflight numbers and cargo handling remain robust, the data also points to evolving passenger behaviours that may inform future capacity planning and airline strategies. As the aviation sector continues to stabilise post-pandemic, Bahrain’s role as a regional hub appears to be on a solid upward trajectory.
