Bahrain International Airport (BIA) has introduced enclosed cupholders in its existing security screening trays, allowing passengers to keep their beverages with them through screening rather than disposing of them beforehand. The upgrade was made in October.
Bahrain Airport Company (BAC), the airport’s operator and managing body, announced the feature. Passengers place their beverage in a cupholder provided by security screening staff. The holder keeps the drink upright as the tray moves through screening, and passengers collect it after inspection.
BAC said the solution works with BIA’s existing liquid-detection screening capabilities and established security requirements, and does not require changes to checkpoint infrastructure. It said the initiative also helps avoid unnecessary beverage waste.
The cupholder was developed through BAC’s Innovation Lab, which was announced at the Bahrain International Airshow 2022 as a platform for employees to propose and test ideas, including by partnering with subject matter experts and startups. A task force representing teams across BAC assesses proposals and supports the development of solutions.
Before introduction, the cupholder underwent several rounds of prototyping, stakeholder reviews, usability assessments and operational trials. BAC said these evaluated compatibility with screening equipment, ease of use and impact on passenger flow, and that feedback from internal and external stakeholders and passengers helped refine the design.
BAC’s Innovation, Security, Terminal Operations, Facilities Management, Customer Experience and Engineering teams, along with stakeholders, collaborated on the project. BAC said it has received positive passenger feedback since the introduction.
BAC received the Bahrain Process Optimisation of the Year – Aviation award at the GovMedia Conference & Awards 2026 for the Security Screening Cupholder Initiative. BAC also said Airports Council International (ACI) has approached it to explore the initiative’s potential inclusion in discussions on best practice in airport customer experience.
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