August 2018 83 www.bahrainthismonth.com Bahrain International Airport has added new destinations and routes involving various airlines. Gulf Air has expanded its network to include direct flights to Bangalore, Calicut, Abha, Tubuk, Alexandria, Sharm El Sheikh, Baku and Casablanca. Atlas Global has introduced new routes from the Kingdom to three destinations in Turkey. A new addition, Azerbaijan Airlines, Azerbaijan’s flag carrier, now operates directly between Baku and Bahrain. This newly introduced airline operates twice a week. Bahrain Airport Company chief commercial officer Ayman Zainal said they expected to see further growth once the new passenger terminal building opens and BIA’s capacity increases to 14 million passengers a year. BIA Introduces New Routes With the aim of empowering the Bahraini start-up ecosystem, VIVA is collaborating with Skiplino Technologies to introduce Bahrain’s very first cloud-based queue management system by a telecoms operator. This online system allows digital queuing through a mobile application so VIVA customers can conveniently book appointments at any of the company’s outlets by way of just a few clicks. The system considers the customer’s travel time, distance and any traffic delays before altering the appointment time accordingly so customers won’t have to wait at the outlet. Skiplino has been the recipient of many global accolades, such as the Forbes Innovation Award 2017 and the World Summit Award 2016. Additionally, Skiplino has been crowned one of the top 100 start-ups by the World Economic Forum. In an effort to replace old scanners at all custom ports at Bahrain International Airport (BIA), phase one sees six new high-tech devices, announced by Customs Affairs. The new machines will better detect illegal or potentially dangerous items. Bahrain Airport Company Airport Modernisation Programme (AMP) development director, Derek Hendry, told the Gulf Daily News: “Security screening will feature body scanners, X-ray machines for baggage handling and other equipment.” President of Customs Affairs, Shaikh Ahmed bin Hamad Al Khalifa, visited BIA to inspect the new scanners and highlighted the importance of the high-level performance and dedication of the airport customs officers in reaching further achievements. The operator of Khalifa Bin Salman Port (KBSP), APM Terminals Bahrain, welcomes its new chief financial officer, Farooq Zuberi, to its leadership team. A chartered accountant (ICAP) and chartered certified accountant (ACCA-UK), Zuberi has worked in senior leadership roles with PwC, Unilever, GSK and Emirates Group, before joining the APM Terminals Bahrain team as they get ready for their initial public offering this year. According to Zuberi, focus will now be on maximising value creation for customers, shareholders and other stakeholders. New CFO for APM Terminals Bahrain VIVA Collaborates with Skiplino Hi-tech Scanning at BIA
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