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Dec 9, 2025
A Historic Flight Through Bahrain's Twin Towers | THE DAILY TRIBUNE | KINGDOM OF BAHRAIN
DT News
In a landmark collaboration between the Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority (BTEA) and the Bahrain Olympic Committee, Red Bull has delivered a spectacular aerial feat in the heart of Manama: the first-ever synchronized wingsuit flight through the Bahrain World Trade Center.
Wingsuit athletes Dani Román and Fred Fugen successfully completed the historic crossing, flying simultaneously between the twin towers from opposite directions. Each athlete descended at speeds of 220 km/h, reaching a combined closing speed of 440 km/h -- more than 120 meters per second -- as they passed through the crossing point with less than 10 meters separating them.
The athletes launched from a Black Hawk helicopter at an altitude of 4,000 feet, accelerating above Manama's skyline before splitting into opposite trajectories. They then re-aligned with remarkable precision to enter the narrow midline gap between the towers, soaring just 40 meters above the building's iconic wind turbines.
Two Years of Preparation Behind the 2025 Achievement
Román and Fugen first identified the Bahrain World Trade Center as a potential flight site during a 2022 visit, recognizing its unique suitability for a synchronized crossing. What followed was a two-year journey of planning, approvals, simulations, technical mapping, and flight training.
"Crossing between the towers has been a dream for us for two years," said Fugen, a three-time world champion with over 20,000 skydives and 1,500 BASE jumps. "Imagining something we've never done before -- and then making it happen at this beautiful landmark -- is indescribable."
Despite the dramatic visuals, the pair explained that navigating the gap was the easiest part. The real challenge lay in coordinating their paths so they reached the midpoint at the exact same moment -- with no digital instruments or live flight data to guide them.
"We don't use GPS or aircraft data. We judge our speed and timing purely by body feel and visual reference," explained R
