RIYADH: Bahrain International Airport welcomed 6.9 million passengers in 2022, marking an increase of 125 percent from 3 million in 2021, the Bahrain News Agency reported. However, the number of passengers received during 2022 is still 29 percent less than the pre-pandemic traffic of 9.6 million in 2019. Bahrain Airport Co.’s Airport Facilitation Committee on Wednesday disclosed these numbers at a meeting to review the operational aspects of the facility, which checked passengers, crew, and baggage movement at the BIA. The committee discussed various topics, including the airport’s annual performance figures, which saw aircraft traffic movements surge to 82,000 in 2022 from 51,000 in 2021, a 60 percent surge. The cargo tonnage increased by 17 percent to 379,000 tons in 2022 from 324,000 tons in 2021. “We can all be proud of how well our airport performed last year as we came closer to reaching pre-pandemic figures. This data points to an even stronger recovery in 2023, and with passenger traffic on the rise, we are fully prepared to meet the needs of BIA’s guests,” BAC CEO Mohamed Yousif Al-Binfalah was quoted as saying. The meeting also included presentations on aviation security, fire prevention, and the upcoming full-scale emergency exercise, which will test the Airport Emergency Plan and assess the capabilities, readiness, and effectiveness of the facility’s emergency and rescue services in dealing with potential incidents. Last year, the airport was awarded the coveted ACI Airport Customer Experience Accreditation Level 2, underscoring BAC’s efforts to deliver a smooth and seamless experience to travelers and visitors.