Bahrain Airport

Bahrain is one of the most impoverished airport that I've had the displeasure of spending a stop-over in. For a tiny island both so wealthy and so well-known you'd think that the airport would be more than just linoleum floors and a few chain fast food stores. The seating in the departure lounge was stiff and uncomfortable, which drove me to the cramped ladies prayer room to have a nap. I wasn't alone in my struggle, as I witnessed a handful of fellow nappers lying underneath the 'Strictly No Sleeping' sign. After a few hours of sleeping haphazardly on my bag, I awoke to try and rectify the remaining hours of my stay. After an unsuccessful attempt to reduce the hours of my stopover and board an earlier flight and an altercation with incredibly rude Gulf Air staff with a lack of empathy, we were left with a measly voucher for the airport's infamous 'Sky Bar'. What we were faced with was a dining experience to be ashamed of. Lukewarm drinks, dirty tables, and bland food served in styrofoam boxes with plastic cutlery. A tip from a fellow diner to another - don't get the roast chicken. In an attempt to leave the hostile conditions of the airport, we discovered that having a British passport is not a pre-requisite to be allowed into the country. After forking over what was an extortionate fee for a few hours of trailing the malls, we returned to the airport to board our flight home. Avoiding the experience would have been more than worth the extra 500GBP to board an earlier flight.

What the airport lacks in facilities compared to other major airports in the region it more than makes up for in lack of queues, and speed of use. It's a much smaller airport than Dubai or the new Doha airport. I've used it for transit in the past, and everything went smoothly and quickly, I was through security within 10 minutes of disembarking. On a recent business day trip to Bahrain, I was through the airport and out of the front door within 30 minutes of my plane landing. On the way back out, it took 5 minutes from arriving at the front door before I was airside; I'd already printed out my boarding pass and had no check-in luggage, so that obviously speeded things up, but I doubt it would have taken 15 minutes even if I'd had to check in my luggage. Airport immigration staff seem to be more efficient - and speak better English - than many of their counterparts in neighbouring countries. Airside, however, there's little to keep you occupied, duty free and dining options are suitable to the size of the airport, but not extensive. So unlike most airports - where the advice is increasingly to get there as early as possible - at Bahrain you definitely don't want to arrive too early, or you'll find yourself quickly speeding through immigration and security to find yourself with very little to do for several hours, and not particularly comfortable seats to do it in. Though the upstairs Irish pub is surprisingly comfy and worth a visit for a quiet corner to sit in even if you don't drink (and it has a non-smoking section).

A human-scale airport, no long queues for transit, immigration or security, no long walks to your gate. It certainly lacks the glamor and the glitz of its neighbors but I prefer its simplicity and efficiency. Would not hesitate to use Bahrain Airport again in the future.

I will disagree with people writing here that this airport is efficient, I found it appalling, staff lost and could not give the right information, they don't tell you that you need to fill in an immigration form before queuing so myself and many travelers were sent back to find a form and then had to return to the line. I saw many connecting passengers struggling to find their gates without any assistance, even elderly passengers. Taxis are very expensive, so if you can use your mobile app to call one, go for it. There are many banks to change money, that was a plus. A few fast food options before security. Will avoid this airport in the future.

On Arrival passport control was quick and efficient even for an Eid Holiday. You could get all you needed from the duty free. I collected my car in a short time and I was off. Returning two days later for my departure back to Kuwait it was a completely different story. Firstly there is no place to drop of your rental car and you have to drop the car in the overcrowded public parking. I couldn't find a legal parking so I had to call the rental car company to come to the parking lot and take the car. Upon check in there was no queue system for Gulf Air and people jumped in front of me all the time. The people on the counter allowed this practice and made for a very unpleasant check in experience. Passport control was quick and efficient as it was the case on the way in. After passport control the airport is very basic and did not offer much for a traveler who needed to spend 3 hours at the airport. I ventured into the Irish pub which was terrible. I checked into the Marhaba lounge afterwards and the services where basic with very bad wifi.

Bahrain airport is incredibly efficient its entirely possible to be in the departure lounge 10mins after walking through the doors. Once in the lounge the duty free area whilst not on the scale of Dubai provides all the necessary shopping. There are two bars skybar upstairs (bit dingy) and the Irish bar by gate 12 which is much better. Standard fast food and coffee shops but if you have time recommend the Macaroni Grill Italian restaurant. Don't normally get many delays from Bahrain due to the relatively low number of flights from the airport.

Transit only. I hadn't been through BAH for years and I forgot how good it was. From getting off the aircraft to being in the Departures areas was about 8 minutes. (Try that in Dubai). The airport is compact with a reasonable array of Duty Free goods reasonable food choices comfortable seats spotlessly clean toilets and a good flight announcement system. The layout of the airport takes you back to the 80's when air travel was more fun than it is today. Excellent Airport built on a human scale - for people.

We just transited through Bahrain airport but we were impressed by this clean and spacious airport. It was well signed and fairly easy to get around and find both the Gulf Air lounge and the gate for our next flight. I wouldn't hesitate to fly through here again based on this experience.

I fly Gulf Air mostly and every time the torturous part for me is Bahrain International Airport. After landing and disembarking the aircraft there is a short walk to the transit area. Everyone for some fairly odd reason has to take off their belts shoes mobiles watches etc and pass through the security gate. I just don't understand this. We have just come off a plane! Security checks have taken place in our point of departure. So this is always painful as the lines build up rapidly if a few flights come in and the area is small. The staff at this security gates are not helpful. The airport itself isn't too great. The smoking area is a disaster even for smokers its too small and packed out. It is a small airport with not the best shopping facilities either. Not what I would expect from a middle east airport seeing Dubai Doha Kuwait and Abu Dhabi standards.

It was the 5th time I have visited BAH and had no problems except the last time. Arrived with BA to find very long lines at border control when we finally got to the front our passports where taken off us and told to wait over there. We waited for 2 hours with nobody offering any help. My wife was taken into a room and quizzed for 10 minutes. Not happy at all wouldn't go to BAH again if didn't have genuine reason to visit on a regular basis.