Bahrain International set records across the board in 2025 — 9.74 million passengers, 405,217 tonnes of cargo — from the terminal that opened in 2021, as Gulf Air flew 6.65 million and the world's first commercial Gulf airport reached 74 destinations.
Bahrain's claim on Gulf aviation is primogeniture: the first British Overseas Airways flight landed here in 1927, chartered by a pearl merchant, decades before the region's other hubs existed. The modern statement is the passenger terminal that opened on 28 January 2021 — US$1.1 billion, 210,000 square meters, 104 check-in counters, 36 passport units and 24 security lanes — lifting capacity to 14 million passengers and 130,000 movements a year.
The 2025 ledger set records on every line: 9.74 million passengers (up 4.2% from 9.35 million), a historic 405,217 tonnes of cargo (up 3.2%), 97,740 aircraft movements — and, tellingly, passengers growing faster than flights as load factors climb. The network now spans 74 destinations on six continents with 39 airline partners; 2025 added London Gatwick, New York, Nairobi, Bucharest, Ashgabat and Liège, while Singapore, Bengaluru, Abu Dhabi, Najaf and Sharjah grew fastest. The year also brought the industry's compliment: best airport in the world in the 5–10 million passenger category.
The national carrier is the airport's backbone: Gulf Air carried 6,647,879 passengers in 2025 (up 5%) on 52,099 flights, lifting its average load factor to 81.6% and closing December at 87.1% — then ordered fifteen more Boeing 787 Dreamliners (options on three) to secure its long-haul future, with Starlink connectivity signed for the fleet. Founded in 1950, it remains one of the oldest airlines in the Middle East and the reason BAH punches above its size.
For the traveler the terminal is the pitch: one building, short walks, fast formalities — a boutique alternative to the mega-hubs ninety minutes away in either direction. Bahrainis make up nearly half the passenger mix, with Saudis, Emiratis and Britons behind them; the A1 and A2 buses run to Manama's terminal for 300 fils, and the causeway to Saudi Arabia is thirty kilometers from the arrivals hall.
Our read: BAH is the Gulf's connoisseur hub — record cargo, record passengers, and still an airport where you clear the building in minutes. Use it deliberately: a Gulf Air connection through Bahrain often undercuts the mega-hub fare and buys you a calmer transfer; the 787s with Starlink make the long-hauls the pick of the fleet. If you're crossing to Saudi, note the airport sits 13 km from Khalifa bin Salman Port and 30 from the causeway — Manama is one of the few cities where you can land, dock and drive in from three directions the same day.
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